Four Days
by Silus.S
Summary: When Sanji and Zoro boarded the Titanic, they didn't think their lives would change so much in the course of just four days.
1. Day One

Zoro had always considered himself a stoic man. Able to control his emotions at the very least. But life as a first class citizen had become boring. It was a chore for him to socialise with people within his 'class'. The men were pompous and the woman cared for nothing but money. Zoro, however, considered such things trifling. He didn't care about marriage or money, only training and strength. He wanted to be the best he could be. The situation he found himself in, however, was non-too desirable. Not for him at least. So when he found himself walking the gangplank to a, in his opinion, rather ugly cruise vessel, he held back his sighs of exasperation. Being forced into this world was acceptable, he could not change who his parents were, but being stuck with these kind of people would be hell. And he would be stuck with them for a week. A whole. Damn. Week.

"Zoro, hurry along now." Zoro's ears perked up to meet his mothers call. His daydreaming had left a large gap between himself and her and the passengers behind were becoming impatient with the long wait. He grunted, earning a frown from his mother. "Really!"

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings, Zoro." A woman with short black hair laughed softly next to him. His barriers broke down instantly as he returned the smile.

"Of course, Kuina." Smiled Zoro, taking the woman's hand on his arm.

"There are allot of passengers, are there not?" Kuina peered over the side of the gangplank staring at the hordes of people. Zoro glanced over, a bored expression gracing his face as he turned his head to scan the crowds. "My! Such lovely hair!" Exclaimed Kuina, pointing to the crowd surrounding the ship. Zoro's eyes followed the pointed finger to a crowd of lower-class passengers currently fighting to get on board. He had expected to see a woman, perhaps one of the first class passengers having accidently walked the wrong way, but his eyes widened when they settled on a man with blond hair, down to his chin. Said man had on clothes that were not terribly dirty, but in no way as clean as Zoro's own attire, but it was obvious he had at least tried, something Zoro could respect. The man turned his head abruptly to look seemingly directly at Zoro, as if he knew he was being watched. It made Zoro flinch and face flush from embarrassment at staring. He turned his head away, only to look back over his shoulder, too curious to leave it at that.

_Curious? Is that the right word?_ Zoro pondered before the blonde haired man's gaze, once more, rested on the gangplank. Then he slowly raised his hand and waved, only moving his hand very slightly. Zoro was caught off guard. Without even realising what he was doing, he raised his hand in reply.

"Oh! He's waving!" Exclaimed Kuina, raising her own hand to meet the wave enthusiastically. Zoro quickly dropped his hand and turned to face forward. He cursed inwardly wondering if Kuina had seen his momentary lapse of sanity.

"You shouldn't associate with someone like that." Stated Zoro, embarrassed at his own mistake. Kuina sighed.

"I know that. But is he not just a man? Same as you? I can't stand the barriers of class." Zoro was at a loss for words. He was always amazed at Kuina's forwardness and kind nature. He inwardly scolded himself for not being able to be as honest with his feelings as he watched the blonde man disappear into the ship after flashing his ticket to the guard. His attention was caught again when they finally reached the guard at the door who checked their tickets with a sickening smile that could only be fake. Zoro rolled his eyes at the thought.

"Thank you very much, Sir. Please enjoy your stay on the Titanic."

The day had been filled with socializing, so when Zoro had finally been able to sit at a table and eat dinner he was greatly relieved. He had found the day extremely taxing, being forced to follow his mother as she chatted with a manner of different people, trying to climb the social ladder. Zoro, being a fairly handsome man, had been forced to follow as a kind of trophy son, something he thought of with great disdain when women gathered to him asking annoying questions about his life. He would have been glad to just sit and eat, but he'd managed to find himself in the middle of another social gathering over the dining table. He grimaced as the women talked about some couple being 'new-money', a term he loathed, and Kuina had spoken her mind again, voicing the same opinions he could not. As his mother scolded her, he started drifting into his own thoughts as he watched a straw hat crawl under his table.

_Wait. A straw-hat? _Zoro very subtly dropped his fork and went to retrieve it, finding himself face to face with a raven haired boy. His eyes went wide when he saw the boy grin cheekily, hold up the fork for Zoro to take, which he did before throwing the table cloth back into place and snapping up to sit rigidly.

"Are you ok?" Kuina asked, raising an eyebrow accusingly.

"Ah? Yes, I'm fine." Zoro waved his hand dismissively as he wrapped his legs around the boy under the table, holding him in place. Kuina gave him another suspicious look before turning back to her conversation. The boy under the table tapped on Zoro's legs, hoping to be released, but Zoro was relentless in his hold, squeezing a little tighter as a warning to stop struggling. He took a pen from his jacket pocket and discreetly wrote a message on his napkin, handing both to the boy. He could easily tell from the boy's appearance that he was not of the finer class. Perhaps he had snuck in? He pondered quietly until he felt a note being placed in his lap.

_I'm hungry! I want meat! _Zoro stared incredulously at the childish scribbles on the napkin. It made sense, Zoro thought, that perhaps the boy simply wanted to try high class food. He couldn't imagine the food below deck was nearly as lavish as what he had moments before been eating. Being as discreet as he could, he slid a hefty piece of beef onto the napkin and handed it to the boy under the table, still holding him in an iron grip. He chuckled to himself thinking what he was doing was much like a child feeding his favourite dog under the table. But now that he thought of it, this child was more like a monkey. A hand furiously patted his leg in thanks. And a note was written on the dirtied napkin, childish scribbles only slightly legible, making Zoro squint.

_Thanks! I'm Luffy!_ Zoro registered the name and continued to sneak food to his new pet throughout the meal. When his thoughts turned to how he was going to get the kid out without him being carried away by security entered his mind, Kuina tapped his arm.

"Isn't that the man we saw before?" Zoro followed her finger to a tall blonde man wondering around the dining hall and his eyes grew wide. Why they did, he wasn't exactly sure and chose not to think on it further when the blonde man approached their table looking around franticly. One of the room's guards ran to the man as he called out.

"Oi! Luffy, where did you go?" This caught Zoro's attention immediately as a guard grabbed the man's shoulder. He stood up quickly.

"Wait! I know this man." Called Zoro, walking quickly to dismiss the guard. The blond stared at him, a confused expression crossed his face. But the guard was relentless.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But this man is not allowed in here. He does not hold a first class ticket." Zoro waved a hand at him, becoming annoyed but hiding it well. Dealing with these people was just another form of training he thought quietly to himself.

"Yes, I understand, he simply wanted to talk to me. We'll go outside." He grabbed the blondes arm and dragged him out of the dining room, shooting a warning look to the boy still hiding under the table. He understood the warning and dropped the cloth he'd been holding up to hid himself behind it, waiting patiently for Zoro's return... and more food.

When Zoro was sure no one could over hear them, he let go of the blondes arm, trying to ignore the man's quiet insults and challenges. When he finally faced him, he had to stop himself from laughing as his eye followed the curl of an eyebrow.

"You were looking for Luffy?" He asked muffling out the other man's insults.

"You know him?" The man raised a ridiculous eyebrow.

"Some what. I think he was trying to steal food." The other man laughed lightly and scratched his head. Zoro could only assume this was a regular occurrence.

"Sorry about that. Did he leave? Please tell me he's not still in there." The man thought of a manner of things the small boy could have broken.

"He's still under my table. I caught him sneaking around and fed him a little to keep him quiet." The blonde gave Zoro a look of disbelief, making him a little uncomfortable. "Um, he'll have to stay there until the dinner is finished or he'll surely be caught." Zoro looked away. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to look into that scrutinising... eye.

"I see." Stated the blonde, mostly to himself. Zoro shifted on his feet, not sure how to continue the conversation, though, he thought, he would have liked to. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he'd enjoyed the way the man had spoken to him without restraint. It had been a long time since he'd heard another man swear at him. "Sorry to trouble you like this." Zoro snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the others eye.

"N-Not at all!" He stuttered. He couldn't really understand what it was about the other man that was shaking his nerves like they were.

"Then I'll leave him in your care." The blonde smiled. "The names Sanji." The man, Sanji, turned to leave, heading down the stairs to the lower deck. Zoro faltered slightly, stumbling slightly towards the ships railing to look down at the slowly disappearing blonde.

"Uh! I'm Zoro!" Sanji stifled a laugh and raised his hand in goodbye without looking back once.

Zoro couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed with himself. It was truly unlike him to have behaved as he did, like a child stumbling over his words.

"Zoro! Care to join us for a brandy?" Zoro was snapped out his thought by the booming voice of an overweight gentleman standing to his side. He inwardly grimaced and smiled, shaking his head.

"Perhaps later, I'd like to give my compliments to the chef." The older man laughed and patted him on the back, retreating with the other men to the smoking room. When he was sure he wouldn't be noticed, he said his goodbyes to the women and dragged his pet monkey out of the room, swerving around tables to avoid the small boy being seen. When he was sure it was safe, he let go of the boy and breathed a sigh of relief. Luffy bounced to life instantly, clamping his legs around Zoro's waist and clambering on him to give a hug, smiling brightly.

"That was good meat! Thanks!" Zoro pushed at Luffy's face attempting to keep his composure around a group of women who looked back and whispered disapprovingly. He grimaced and threw off his dinner jacket to a nearby chair and rushed to the lower deck. He pried Luffy away from him and hit his head lightly.

"Don't act that way up there; I don't want to be the centre of meaningless gossip." Luffy grinned and nodded his head, adjusting the straw hat that adorned his head.

"The food was real good, but it was pretty boring up there. And everyone talks about each other behind their backs. That's not very nice you know." Luffy crossed his arms and looked disapprovingly at Zoro.

"My sentiments exactly." Sighed Zoro, slightly exasperated, and scratched his head.

"But you're a good guy." Luffy's face softened and he slipped his hands into his pockets looking more relaxed now that that he'd had his say. "What's your name?"

"Roronoa Zoro."

"Y'know, the food was great, but I've had better, why don't you come eat with me?" Zoro looked a little taken aback. They were on the Titanic, an extremely glamorous cruise liner where only the best was allowed for those who could pay enough. How could the food below deck be better? As if reading his mind, Luffy patted his back and grinned even wider.

"Just because the food up there is more expensive doesn't mean its better. You wait till you meet my chef! The company's allot better too; everyone's nice!" Zoro couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. This kid could see through the mask of courtesy so easily! He decided then that he liked this Luffy character.

When Zoro decided it was finally time to head back he had been forced to agree to a meal with Luffy the following night. He was unsure whether or not it had been a good idea. News travelled fast, especially on a boat, and he really didn't want to be the centre of gossip, especially if would affect Kuina and his mother. But the thinking had become too much for him and when he was sure most people had retreated to their cabins he picked up a long case and sneaked outside. He'd changed into loose clothing, wearing all black so he was hard to notice in the darkness, but still resolved to bribe the cowardly watchman with the long nose into keeping quiet and making sure no one would see him during his night time activity.

Standing in the centre of an empty deck, he popped his muscles and stretched into a comfortable workout until he was ready to get to the serious stuff. From the long case he'd been carrying he retrieved three swords, tying them to his waist. He unsheathed his favourite, a strong sword with a pure white hilt and proceeded to his training, raising the sword above his head and slashing the air. He continued practicing different techniques as the night watchmen stared in awe, not noticing when a tall blonde lit up a cigarette and leaned against the wall, watching him silently.

A few hours later, Zoro was satisfied with his workout and wiped the sweat from his brow, smiling to himself for a training session well done. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a soft clapping noise. He turned quickly to see Sanji watching him intently, a cigarette softly gracing his lips.

"Yo, Mr. First Class." Zoro glared at the comment. It wasn't particularly an insult, but it felt like the man was making fun of him. "Is that proper for a man of your standing?" Zoro whipped his head around staring at a decidedly interesting spot on the floor.

"... You gunna rat on me?" Sanji broke into laughter, making the swordsman jump.

"And that's hardly a proper manner of speech, Sir!" Zoro growled and started to pack his swords away, unable to look at the man as he walked to stand over him, watching him intently.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I won't tell. I'm no snitch." Zoro looked up at the blonde, silently appreciating a man of honour. He had met so few. He nodded in thanks and stood up. The pair stared at each other in an awkward silence, neither sure how to keep the conversation going until Sanji's eyes wondered to the mess of short hair on top of the others head.

"... Your hair's green." Zoro's head shot up out of instinct to look at his hair and just as quickly shot back down feeling the stupidity of his actions. Sanji just grinned.

"I... know that already."

"That doesn't seem very gentlemanly, Mr. First Class." Sanji unconsciously reached up and poked a spike. "Shouldn't you have slicked black hair?" Zoro pushed his hand away.

"I don't need someone like _you_ lecturing me on hair." He raised his hand to poke at the long blonde hair covering half his face. "Can you even see through that?"

"I can see through it. And I can kick your ass through it too."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Sorry to say, you wouldn't have a chance against me, but I'd be obliged to try anytime you want." Sanji laughed and took a step back, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Now _that_ is defiantly not gentlemanly." Sanji smirked, his eyes shadowing. "But I'm not one to back away from a challenge, even if it is from some shitty Mr. First Class." Something in Zoro snapped and he reached forward, attempting to grab the man, all thoughts of the childish stuttering of earlier lost. His hand was met with air when Sanji bent backwards in an obscene bend, that Zoro was sure could not be possible, and flipped back onto his feet facing the swordsman once more. He smiled a cocky grin as he stared as Zoro's surprised face. Another silent pause followed as Zoro regained his composure. This really wouldn't do for a man like him.

"Was there anything you wanted?" Zoro asked as he straightened his back. He hadn't noticed he'd been standing to defence. Sanji placed another cigarette in his mouth, a little disappointed he wouldn't get to test out the swordsman's skills. He'd been aching for a good fight.

"Nothing in particular." He murmured around his cigarette. "Just a little... interested." He glanced up to look directly into Zoro's eyes. For a moment they were silent in their staring. After a while, Zoro turned his head, his cheeks started to heat and his stomach dip a flip. He couldn't understand what was wrong with his body. Perhaps he'd eaten something weird at dinner?

"... Interested?" Zoro couldn't take the silence anymore. It was stifling.

"Hn. It's just weird is all." Sanji looked around, sucking on his cigarette. The silence was getting to him as well. "Why would a guy like you help a little monkey like Luffy?" Zoro laughed lightly at the comparison. He was slightly amazed they had thought the same thing. "You didn't rat on him... So I guess I'm sorta, kinda saying... Thanks. Or something like that. I guess." Zoro turned his head back around to glance at Sanji.

"Whatever. It's not like he did anything wrong. Not really. First Class or not, everyone deserves to eat good food."

"Heh. So you're a good guy after all." Sanji snorted, tossing his finished cigarette to the sea. "It's a good thing you think that way. Now you don't have to feel bad about the meal you'll be eating tomorrow." Zoro looked a little confused before recalling his earlier conversation with Luffy.

"Ah? You know I'm to eat with Luffy? So you were just sizing me up?"

"I wanted to check you were a good guy." Zoro crossed his arms.

"Are you satisfied?" Sanji laughed at the question and turned to leave. Zoro could only stare as he slowly walked off. "Hey. Are you satisfied?" For some reason he felt he wanted to know the answer. Sanji grinned to himself without looking around.

"... See you at dinner."


	2. Day Two

Zoro hadn't been able to sleep. Or rather, he didn't let himself sleep. Whenever he found himself drifting off, his mind was full of blonde hair and curly eyebrows. It unnerved him. He reasoned that perhaps he was looking for a sparring partner in Sanji. He had challenged him to fight after all, and it seemed as though he might have had some kind of skill, how else had he managed to dodge Zoro's hands so easily. He told himself that was why he could see the blonde's lithe body bending in that ridiculous way whenever he closed his eyes. He was happy to leave his thoughts at that when he saw himself staring into a pair of child like black eyes. Luffy had hung himself from the top of the small building behind Zoro's chosen napping place and was staring at his face as if studying him quietly. Somehow Zoro was not startled, as if he had expected the boy to do such a thing despite not knowing him for long.

"What do you want, Luffy? I'm trying to sleep here." _Or rather trying not to dream, _a voice inside his head mocked Zoro's thoughts as Luffy pushed himself forward to land on Zoro's lap with a soft thud.

"You talked to Sanji last night?" Zoro's eyes shot open at the mention of the man that had been haunting his thoughts since the following night.

"... I did." Luffy looked like he was considering something as he scratched his chin absentmindedly.

"Hmph. That explains _that_ then." Zoro raised an eyebrow as he pushed Luffy to the empty deck chair beside him. He didn't like the way that crowd of women was regarding Luffy and his beaten up straw hat.

"Explains what?" He flashed a well trained smile to the women making them turn away, trying to act coy. Zoro hated rich women.

"Naa..." Luffy began, getting comfy in the deckchair. He took no notice of the people sticking up their noses at the lower-class passenger who had the gall to talk to another of their kind. "He was talking kinda weird I guess." Zoro gave him a quizzical look.

"Weird?"

"Yeah, like, mumbling to himself I guess. I didn't understand it all, but I heard him say Mr. First Class... Is that you?" Zoro felt his heart miss a beat.

"Y-yeah, that's me... I think." He turned his head away, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. He hoped it wasn't noticeable. Why was he reacting like that? Really. Sanji had just been talking about him. Possibly. "Are you sure that's what he said? Did he say anything else?" Zoro couldn't help his curiosity. Luffy nodded his head with certainty.

"It's defiantly what he said." He glanced at Zoro. "You're pretty interested yourself."

"How do you mean?" Zoro turned his head a little more away trying desperately to look uninterested.

"Hm... You guys certainly are interesting."

"Who's interesting?" Both Luffy and Zoro pulled their heads up to look at Kuina.

"Woah! You're real tall! You really a woman?" Luffy eyed Kuina's dress with suspicion before Zoro pulled him into a headlock.

"No one, Kuina, I just happened to start chatting with this boy I met by coincidence." Kuina gave Zoro an incredulous look.

"'Met by coincidence'?" Zoro nodded his head a bit too eagerly. "Funny, I could have sworn you two met last night when the boy was hiding under our table. You were feeding him if I'm not mistaken?" Zoro's eye's opened a few more millimetres and his jaw hit the floor. Luffy couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. Zoro should have known he couldn't keep anything from the woman.

"Are you a good guy too? Pumba? I'm Luffy!" Luffy thrust his hand out and grinned wildly. Kuina took the hand cautiously, as if Luffy would shake her arm out of its socket.

"I'm _Kuina_. And I would like to think I'm a good... 'guy'. I'm pleased to meet you, Luffy." Zoro grimaced slightly. Luffy was lucky Kuina _was_ a good guy—_girl. _Luffy looked between the two, studying their faces quietly.

"So are you two brother and sister?"

"What? No!" Zoro shouted, a little too loudly. He glanced around the ship hoping no one was too shocked at his outburst. "Kuina is my..." He looked between the two, resting his sight on the sky. "... She's my fiancé." Luffy took a moment to contemplate this before sliding back into the chair resting his hands behind his head.

"Somehow I don't really like that." Kuina looked a little surprised as she took the seat on Luffy's other side. "You two don't really suit each other. No offence, 'cus. I mean you're both great." He turned towards Kuina, who was listening to him intently, interested in Luffy's reasoning. "Zoro gave me food and Kuina didn't tattle on me. So you're good people."

"You judge people based around food?" Kuina looked quizzically at Luffy, taking in his full features committing him to her memory.

"Not just that. I like anyone as long as they're not jerks." Luffy grinned. "Uh... What was I saying? Oh yeah. I don't want to offend you or anything, but I don't think you're Zoro's type." Kuina turned to face Luffy full on, her chin resting on the back of her hands.

"Oh? What do you think is Zoro's... 'type'?" Kuina's eyes turned to Zoro, who looked at Luffy expectantly. He was wondering what Luffy saw his type to be. Luffy smiled and stood up. He stretched his arms above his head and arched his back earning dirty looks from some passing gentleman.

"Zoro, don't forget about tonight. I kinda have a... surprise for you." Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's kinda a surprise, but not really. I think you'll like it though. Sorry, Kuina, but you're not allowed to come this time. It's a secret, Zoro, so don't tell her." Luffy pressed his index finger to his lips and leaned close to Zoro's face making a hissing noise. Zoro wiped spit from his face in disdain. Luffy turned back to Kuina and smiled. "You can come tomorrow though." As Luffy turned to leave, Kuina reached out her hand to grip his arm lightly.

"And Zoro's type?" Luffy grinned at Kuina's curiosity. That was a character trait he loved in people.

"Someone he could have a good fight with." Kuina let her hand slip as they watched Luffy climb over the ship railing getting ready to jump to the deck below completely ignoring the disapproving sneers of the men and women around him. He stopped just before he let go of the railing, grinning to the pair who could only watch him with awe of such a free life.

"And someone with lighter hair. Someone Blonde." Zoro's pulse raced and his stomach seemed to flip as Luffy disappeared to the deck below.

'_Someone blonde' What the heck was that supposed to mean? _Zoro found himself unable to make any rational thought that wasn't connected to a childish monkey and a curly browed blonde. Kuina seemed to have caught onto the conversation a little too quickly for Zoro's liking.

"Blonde? He doesn't mean that man does he? The one we saw in Southampton? And again in the dining hall? You spoke to him, didn't you? Doesn't Luffy know that you are both men? Such a relationship is impossible and unthinkable!" Kuina's questions were unrelenting and he'd finally had enough. He didn't mind her asking questions, and he didn't mind when she pried into the appointment Luffy had told him to keep secret. But the way she was asking questions now about Sanji, speaking of things such as relationships, it was driving Zoro to the edge of his patience. He'd never truly been angry with the woman. He loved her, after all. At least he thought he did. He wasn't sure if his feelings were of love or simply friendship, he couldn't tell the difference. He felt the same way looking at her as when he looked at Luffy. She was his friend and he was glad to have her around. That is until she'd started talking about Sanji.

"I'm going to the bar." Zoro pushed past his fiancé and trudged his way through the overly decorated hallway trying to remember his way to the bar, hoping it would be open and ready for business. It was 1 o'clock after all, a whole hour past noon. After an hour of wondering, Zoro was beginning to get annoyed. He looked around the corridor trying to find a clue as to where he was. The lavish corridors were replaced by slightly dirty looking plain white walls, a light bulb dotted here and there.

"Shit." Mumbled the man, looking back and forth up the passageway. A baritone laugh signalled the presence of another man. A familiar sounding man.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth, Mr. First Class?" Zoro whipped his head around to meet blonde hair and blue eyes. "Hardly gentlemanly behaviour."

'_Someone blonde.'_ Zoro's heart missed a beat at the memory and his cheeks heated. What the hell did Luffy mean by_ that?_ He turned away from Sanji and stomped up the corridor trying to get as much distance between them as he could. Fate, however, was not on his side as the blonde chased after him in a slow jog.

"What brings you down to this part of the ship?" Zoro ignored him and searched the walls for a map, not that he'd be able to read it. Anything to get his mind off of the one following him. "You ignoring me, Mr. First Class?" Zoro stopped in his tracks, Sanji almost bumping into his back. Suddenly he was very aware of himself. He turned to eye the other man.

"Take off your jumper" he stated, sliding off his own jacket and tie.

"E-Eh?" Sanji stuttered, frozen in place. Was this guy serious? Zoro quirked his eyebrow.

"You heard me. Give me your jumper, dart brow. I can hardly walk around in such lavish clothing. I'll be robbed." Sanji jolted back into reality, mumbling an 'oh' and pulled the jumper over his head. Zoro's eyes widened slightly when he saw the blonde's washboard stomach and just a hint of blonde hair disappearing under the line of his trousers. Zoro mentally slapped himself as Sanji handed him his jumper which he quickly stuffed on. He then took a second to look over Sanji's new appearance. He had only removed his woollen jumper, but looked completely different with a thin white shirt hanging loosely from his frame. It made him look deceptively unthreatening. Sanji coughed, and looked away, attempting to break the silence.

"Where were you trying to go?" Zoro grimaced.

"Bar. Somehow I ended up down here." He wondered how, in all the vastness of the ship, it had been Sanji to find him wondering around like a lost child. Sanji gave him a sceptical look.

"It's two in the afternoon." Zoro growled.

"I'm stressed."

"What are you stressed about?" Asked Sanji, walking passed the other man. Zoro paused.

"I've just been thinking about..." _You._ Sanji turned his head slightly.

"You gunna finish that sentence or not?" Zoro hesitated, lost in his own confused thoughts. "Hmph. Shitty moss head can't even string together a coherent sentence, eh? Tch!" Zoro snapped, pushing Sanji roughly, making him trip forward slightly before turning around and banging his forehead against the other mans. They growled at each other, challenge laced in their eyes.

"You wanna start something?" The two practically spit out at each other at the same time. After a few seconds they each 'hmphed' and turned their heads away from the other in a pout.

"Just show me the way out of here so I can go drink."

Zoro found himself back in his cabin, if that was what you could call it. It was more like an overly decorated apartment than a ships cabin. He had been disappointed when he'd reached the bar and found it closed. What kind of luxury cruise liner didn't open their bar till half three? He'd contemplated waiting for it to open, but found himself at the end of unwanted stares. He hadn't realised he was still wearing the faded jumper he'd commandeered from the blonde only half an hour before. Sneering slightly at the blondes earlier words he ripped the jumper off and threw it to land softly atop his bed. He considered throwing the jumper into the sea out of spite but resolved to return it later. His thoughts faltered when he heard Kuina knock lightly at his bedroom door. Guilt filled his mind slowly as he motioned for the girl to enter.

"You're not joining us for dinner tonight?"

"I agreed to eat with Luffy," Zoro replied, shaking his head. Kuina stared at the floor.

"Sanji will be there?"

"Hu?" He scratched his neck, a little nervous. "I don't know. Probably not. Does it matter?" Kuina sniffed and scratched the end of her nose. "What makes you ask that?"

"I ran into Luffy a little while ago..." She trailed off, looking out the window to the small balcony attached to the room. Zoro looked at her expectantly when she turned her head back to him, a smile on her face. "He speaks so fondly of Sanji. I feel I'd like to get to know him too. Perhaps even _you_ could grow to be fond of him." Zoro's eyes snapped up.

"Fond of him?" He paced the room slightly before stopping by a window. "I have no intention of having _any_ fond thoughts for him. He's quite rude to me. And such a foul mouth, it's really shameful." Kuina's eyes flashed.

"But isn't that great?" She paused tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I want to be treated as an equal. Don't you?" Zoro chuckled. They were too alike.

"That's why I've taken a friendship with Luffy. I'm happy with that, I don't need such a man as Sanji to make me happy." Kuina looked at her fiancé thoughtfully.

"I see."

Zoro felt a little nervous. There was a small kind of security in the upper class world. Whatever you were doing you were expected to wear fine clothing. Zoro was insecure with whether or not he'd need to dress formally or not so he'd resorted to wearing clothing he'd usually save for training. A pair of loose black trousers and boots with a loose fitted black shirt. He'd pondered wearing a tie but decided against the idea when he regarded the young man's own attire. He wandered onto the lower deck walking towards the sleeping lump that was Luffy, his straw hat covering his face. When Luffy heard the tell tale sound of heavy boots on the wooden deck he sat up and grinned, pushing his hat into place.

"Zoro, you made it!" Zoro scrubbed his hand threw his hair and sat beside the younger boy. As he thought, Luffy sat comfortably in dark trousers clamped to his grey shirt by equally dark suspenders. Zoro noted the faded material that almost ripped on the knees of his trousers. He chuckled expectantly.

"I made a promise, didn't I?" Luffy smiled.

"I'd expect no less from a friend." Zoro was taken aback slightly by that comment. He wasn't used to people referring to him as his friend.

"Where are we eating?" A mischievous grin etched across Luffy's face.

"At the bar of course." Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"A bar?" Luffy nodded and stood up, taking Zoro's wrist in his hand and dragged him below deck. They walked the white walled maze until Luffy pushed open a simple brown door and grinned wildly.

"Here it is." Zoro took a small step back in surprise when a chorus of loud and light hearted music assaulted his ear drums. He took the room in with silent awe as he allowed Luffy to drag him around, pointing and introducing him to a manner of people he'd never remember. The boy pushed Zoro to a seat at the bar and leant over it, signalling to the staff. The woman that approached made Zoro's jaw drop to the floor. She was certainly beautiful, with a soft face and slightly large nose made her look both striking and attainable. The stripped hat with the pompom attached showed her to be slightly playful. But the part that made Zoro's face flush was her red coat that hung widely open revealing her tiny corset and leaving nothing to the imagination. She leant across the bar and squeezed Luffy's cheeks making cooing noises. Luffy grimaced and pulled his face away with a pout.

"Stop doing that, you squeeze too hard!" He turned to Zoro and patted his shoulder. "This is Porche. She's real weird and always wears that mask, even though we all know who she is. That's kinda stupid, but she always gives me free drinks."

"Nyuah! I want a kiss before I serve you Luffy," cooed Porche, leaning across the bar and pouting her lips. Luffy shot Zoro a distasteful look, poking his tongue out. He leaning his head to the side and allowed Porche to leave a sloppy kiss to his cheek. Satisfied, she pulled away and handed Luffy a glass filled with what Zoro presumed to be orange juice. She then turned her attention towards Zoro. She hummed thoughtfully and put her hands on her hips.

"I suppose you're not terrible looking, even if you're not as cute as Luffy," she smiled. "What can I get you? It's on me." Luffy put his arm on the bar and rested his head in his hands, giving Zoro an annoyed look, moving his index finger in a circular motion by his temple. Zoro suppressed a laugh and looked at the woman.

"Um... Anything you recommend will be fine." She smiled again, seemingly satisfied and turned to get Zoro's drink, filling a glass with something he didn't recognise before plonking it down in front of him with a wink. She turned to Luffy again.

"You hungry?" Luffy nodded erratically, earning a small squeal from the woman before she called over a long nosed man who waved a reply before continuing to scribble down on a piece of paper. "He'll be with you in a min, sweetly." She turned her attention back to Zoro as he spluttered on his drink. She gave a loud laugh and patted his head roughly. "You should sip at that, silly, its whiskey. Keep going like that and you'll burn a hole in your throat." Zoro coughed into his hand and gave her an incredulous look.

"You gave me whiskey in a glass this size?" Porche shrugged.

"I figured you looked like you could handle your drink, so I gave you allot. It's the thought that counts right?" Zoro scratched at his throat and nodded absentmindedly.

"Luffy, I beg you do not eat as much as the previous night, we have a few more days at sea after all." The long nosed man from earlier patted Luffy on the back and gave Zoro a polite grin. Zoro carefully took in the man's appearance, pondering the slightly mysterious look of his eyes shadowed under the flat cap he wore. He decided to ignore the slightly rectangular looking long nose that protruded out towards him.

"I won't eat _everything_... Probably." Luffy shot the man a grin. "This is my new friend, Zoro. Zoro, this is Kaku. He may talk like that, but don't trust everything he says." Zoro's stare lingered on Luffy for a second before he took Kaku's outstretched hand in a firm handshake.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," smiled Kaku, sending a slight shiver down Zoro's spine. He turned to Luffy and took out a pen. "I'll assume you'll be having your usual?" When Luffy nodded, he turned back to Zoro. "And what will Sir be having this evening?" Zoro gave a slight shrug and scratched the back of his neck, a little uncomfortable. He had no idea what he should order, or what would be available in such quarters.

"Uh... I guess. The... same as Luffy?" Kaku raised an eyebrow before scribbling on his paper.

"I'll inform the cook that you're ready to eat." Zoro watched him leave, with slight suspicion. Something about Kaku made him slightly nervous, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He turned his attention back to Luffy, who was fighting off Porche's kisses. After a while, Porche began to turn her attention to Zoro, claiming he hadn't paid for his drink like Luffy did. He blushed furiously and placed his hands on her waist, trying to keep her away when she leaned across the bar, practically lying on it while attempting to lay kisses on him. From nowhere, a blurry foot flashed across the side of Zoro's vision and he felt a forceful kick hit the back of his head. Porche retreated from the bar and shouted angrily at the perpetrator. Zoro rubbed the back of his head and shot to his feet, scowling. He felt his stomach clench when he found himself staring into a blue eye.

_Someone with blonde hair..._

"Don't put your hands all over Porche." He shot the man a scowl before dancing to the bar and placing two heavy food laden plates on the bar before taking Porche's hand and vomiting complements on her. Luffy's open mouth spilled an ocean of drool to the floor before completely bypassing his knife and fork and gorging on his meal, stuffing meat into his mouth. He stopped for a moment and smiled at Zoro, food all over his face.

"Oh yeah, that's the surprise!" Zoro scratched his head, a little confused. His mind was still trying to catch up with the situation that seemed to be going too fast for his mind to comprehend. When Luffy noticed his blank face, he continued; "Sanji's a cook, so this food was all made by him." Zoro nodded slowly and turned his gaze from the plate in front of him to the man who was now staring back at him. Sanji glared at his suspicious gaze before taking the seat next to him with an angry humph. He brought an unlit cigarette to his mouth and chewed on the filter angrily.

"Welcome to the shitty restaurant, Mr. First Class." Zoro narrowed his eyes. Dealing with this man was becoming very annoying. The worst part was that he was completely unsure of how he felt about him. Sometimes, like last night, he felt he could become very much attached to the man, other times, like right now, he drove him nuts, mad with anger. It was exhausting.

"You're joining us?" He raised a questioning eyebrow before taking the knife and fork into his hands. Another blur of black caught his attention and he thrust his knife out, catching a skilled foot with it. Sanji gave him a slightly impressed look before his face scrunched up in annoyance once again.

"You got a problem with that, you rude bastard? After I made you a shitty meal?" He dropped his foot and nudged the plate towards Zoro a little more, attempting to draw his attention towards it. It worked, and Zoro found himself staring down at his plate of food. He picked at a piece of meat and slowly drew it to his lips. He brought his tongue out to flick over it for a taste test, quickly earning a blush from the observing Sanji who turned away, hiding his face with his hand. "If you waste any food, I'll kick you into the ocean." Zoro turned his head to the blonde man.

"I'd like to see you try, curlicue." Sanji's eyebrow twitched at the remark but he chose to ignore it, opting for helping himself to Zoro's glass of whiskey, taking small sips. Zoro turned to the food he's been given. Eating at a messy bar was something completely new to him. But when he found himself listening to the warm chattering around him and the upbeat music in the background with... _somewhat_ enjoyable company, he found it not that bad. When Zoro was satisfied the food wasn't poisoned, he placed the fork in his mouth and allowed the full taste of the meat to fill his senses. His eyes grew wide as he worked the tender meat around in his mouth. It was absolutely delicious. A thousand times better than the high class food he'd eaten in first class. He gulped it down greedily, slightly disappointed when he'd scraped the last scrap from his plate. Sanji chuckled beside him.

"You like it that much?" Zoro turned his eye's to him, wearily. He liked the food, loved it in fact. But he wasn't sure he wanted to admit it to the cocky blonde, should his ego inflate and the ship float to the sky. He let out a mumble and settled for;

"It's good."

"Better than the shit above deck?" Zoro frowned slightly at the wording, but eventually nodded his head. He hadn't expected such a man to make delicious food like that. Perhaps there was more to the man than just a pretty face. He growled to himself at his own mental phrasing and pushed the empty plate away as Sanji lit his neglected cigarette and took in a lung full of smoke.

"Sanji~! Seconds please~!" Luffy howled at the cook, leaning back on his stool to see past Zoro. Zoro grabbed the stool and held it steady just before it tipped over. Sanji let out another stream of smoke and shook his head.

"I'd _love_ to Luffy, but unfortunately the kitchen is freezing and I recently misplaced my favourite jumper." He turned a sly eye towards Zoro who visibly flinched at the words, almost dropping the stool and Luffy to the ground. Luffy crossed his arms and pouted comically. Sanji brought his cigarette to his lips and drew in a deep breath, raising a hand and calling a man over with his index finger. A skinny man with black hair and bags under his eyes slinked over, eyeing Zoro with suspicion.

"Hey, Gin," smiled Luffy. "Oh yeah, this is our new friend, Zoro." He pulled Zoro into a tight hug and presented him to Gin who flicked his eyes over him, a slight look of distaste touching his features. Sanji watched Gin carefully. He turned to the bar, stubbing out his finished cigarette and gathering the finished plates together. He handed the plates to Gin and gave him a thankful smile.

"Wash these for me please, Gin?" Gin gave a little nod and cast another look over Zoro before turning for the kitchen, only to have his path blocked by a tall man sporting an equally massive afro.

"Brook!" Luffy cried out with utter glee when the man approached in his shabby clothing. Zoro quietly studied his attire and decided they had once been very high scale garments but were now worn with age. Perhaps the man had once been rich but lost it all. Possibly to gambling or something similar? Brook took Gin's free hand and twirled him playfully, dragging him back to his original positioning by the bar.

"Yohohoho! Good to see you again, Luffy! Any song requests?" Brook held up his violin and grinned. "How about Bink's Brew?" He raised his bow to his violin before Luffy raised his hand for him to wait.

"Maybe later, I want you to meet Zoro!" Brook turned his smile to Zoro and shook his hand in a friendly greeting. Zoro instantly liked the man.

"Ah, are you the same Zoro Roronoa from first class?" Zoro looked around the bar carefully before nodding slowly. Brook smiled again, explaining that he was part of the house band, but wanted to play more upbeat tunes below deck where people appreciated it more. Zoro listened intently to the conversation, his eyes flicking every once in a while to the man who was still staring at him, Gin. When the conversation turned to why Zoro was below deck, Luffy gave Brook a knowing smirk.

"I'm trying to make those two friends, of course." He pointed to the cook and the swordsman who each stared at him blankly before he continued. "Because Sanji is Zoro's type." Sanji, Zoro and Gin's mouths gaped open, almost hitting the floor. Sanji and Zoro looked at each other and turned away just as quickly. Gin cast a dirty look to Zoro before turning his attention to Luffy who was innocently grinning to a shocked looking Brook.

"Luffy, I think you're getting your words confused." Luffy's stare hardened and he turned away in a pout.

"Maybe I should be heading back." Zoro rose to his feet before a hand shot to his arm to stop him. His eyes widened and his head shot around at the thought perhaps Sanji had grabbed him. He realized how ridiculous that thought had been when he saw the blonde cross legged and armed, facing the other way and staring at the busy bar. Luffy had been the one to grab his arm.

"It's way too early for that, Zoro!" Luffy's big eyes begged him and Zoro inwardly sighed. He had already developed a soft spot for the young boy, and that probably wasn't a good thing. Luffy shot him a mischievous grin. "The night's only just beginning."

An hour later, Zoro found the bar crammed with people, laughing and drinking merrily. He'd managed to avoid the advances of Porche and had had an interesting talk with Kaku about swords, something he was wary about talking about, but ended up feeling strangely comfortable with the other man. Luffy had been periodically disappearing and returning with complete strangers babbling short biographies and running off to fetch another victim. Sanji had separated from him shortly after Gin and Brook had and had resided to shamelessly flirt with anyone adorning breasts. Zoro rolled his eyes and downed another glass of beer after Porche had decided that much whiskey would surely give him alcohol poisoning. Plus he would be able to drink more than before, earning her more kisses as payment. Luffy bounded back to him, interrupting his rather interesting conversation with a young doctor, Law Trafalgar, only to drag him to a make shift dance floor. Luffy gave the thumbs up to Brook and another man, Franky, whom Zoro had spoken with briefly before. They replied with a wave as Brook sat at the piano starting off a happy beat. The rest of the band followed suit and soon the dance floor was filled with happy, dancing people. At first Zoro found himself at a loss of what to do. He was a little self conscious. He was used to the formal dancing he'd been forced to repeat over and over again, but with a little bit of push from Luffy, not to mention allot of pulling, he became used to the rhythm and started to enjoy himself.

Sanji glanced over at Zoro. He was happily dancing and laughing with Luffy. An unknown emotion gripped at Sanji when he saw the man's wide smile. He wasn't sure what it was, but it tugged at him, made him want to be around the other man and confused him. He wanted to tease the other man and see what kind of reactions he could make. What kind of faces he could pull. It was when a drunken woman moved closer to the swordsman and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck did his attention become fully focused on the two. The woman wasn't terrible looking and Zoro didn't look completely adverse to the attention, wrapping his own arms around her waist, pulling her up close to him and twirling her around, earning a loud giggle from the woman. The grin plastered to his face didn't make the alarm bells in Sanji's mind calm down either. But he was confused. Was he jealous of Zoro or the women? His thoughts were snapped back to reality when he felt a hand slap at his back playfully. He whipped his head around to see Gin smiling back at him, two drinks in his hand. He handed one to Sanji who took it gratefully. Gin followed Sanji's gaze to the dancing couple. He gave the man a distasteful glare and flopped to the stool beside Sanji.

"He stealing your girl?" Gin took a sip from his glass, studying Sanji's face for a reaction the entire time. Sanji's eye darted from Zoro to Gin to the woman Zoro was dancing with. He laughed nervously.

"Something like that." Gin gave Sanji a thoughtful look and returned his gaze to the people dancing. Luffy's head was darting from Sanji to Zoro before he slipped his arms around the woman's waist and pulled her gently to the side, taking her place to hang off Zoro. Sanji's eyebrow twitched when Luffy flashed him a grin. What was the kid trying to do? Piss him off? Gin studied Sanji's face a little closer and shot a glare at Zoro, who caught it even in his busy state. He ignored his fighter's instinct and decided to enjoy himself instead, spinning Luffy with his arm. Sanji had finally had enough. The drunken woman was practically pawing at Zoro's arm trying to gain his attention and Sanji wasn't sure which he was most annoyed by, the woman's actions, or Zoro ignoring them. So he found himself grabbing the woman's hand and leading her into a dance. His eyes met briefly with Zoro's sending out a glare of challenge until he turned all his attention toward the girl in his arms. It wouldn't do to neglect a lady. Luffy and Gin had seen the transaction, each having their own thoughts towards it. Luffy pushed his foot out, slightly tripping the woman to fall back into Zoro's arms. Sanji shot the swordsman a dubious look before gently pushing the woman away from them. He lent into Zoro's body and breathed into his ear, earning a soft blush from him when he felt the other man's hot breath on his earlobe.

"Wanna fight, Mr. First Class?" Zoro darted back and clapped a hand over his ear, hoping the other man couldn't see his flustered state. He steeled his eyes and grabbed Sanji's wrist, pulling him from the bar. Luffy shot Gin a superior smirk and quietly followed the two, making sure he wouldn't be noticed. Gin skulked out soon after, equally quiet.

Once out in the open air of the deck, Zoro turned to Sanji and gave him a glare.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't call me that, question." Sanji looked confused until Zoro raised a finger to poke at the cook's curly eyebrow. Sanji snorted and turned his head away.

"That barely made sense. What did you drag me out here for anyway, idiot?" Zoro growled and took up a fighting stance.

"You're the one who wanted to fight, aren't you?" Sanji trailed his eyes over the other man before turning to look around.

"Not afraid you'll get caught? You shouldn't even be _socialising_ with me, let alone fighting..." He frowned at his own words, grimacing at the reality of it all. As much as he'd hate to admit, he actually liked Zoro. Wanted to be near him, to tease him. But the reality of the matter was that even though they were so close to each other now, they were worlds apart. Zoro shook his head.

"Usopp's on watch tonight. He won't tell anyone, he's a good guy." Sanji stared at his face, studying him. He let out a dry laugh. What was with this guy? Didn't he _know_ how to be a first class passenger? It was really a mystery, but he was glad Zoro was like this, he couldn't imagine it any other way. "So we gunna do this or not?" Sanji let a grin stretch on his lips. He slid his hands in his pockets and leaned forward on his heels. In a flash, he darted forward and landed a strong kick to Zoro's raised arms. The swordsman grinned excitedly and reached forward attempting to hit the other man's face. He dodged quickly, bending in that obscene way he had done before. He dropped again to his hands and whipped his legs around quickly, whipping at the other man. Zoro carefully timed a quick slash at Sanji's heels, forcing the blonde back further. The cook jumped back to his feet and slashed Zoro with his legs, quickly. Zoro gracefully dodged each jab, aiming some of his own, attempting to push the other man back. When the cold sensation of metal bars hit the blondes back, he let out a little yelp. Before he could move again, Zoro pinned him to the railing, forcing the blonde to keep still against his warm body. He let out another strained growl when Zoro pushed forward a little more, pinning their bodies together tightly. The two panted into each other's bodies, their faces dusted red with the realisation of certain body parts being in such close proximity. Zoro leapt back and scratched the back of his head, looking away.

"You're... not bad," smirked Zoro.

"You're not so bad yourself," replied Sanji, scoffing a little. After gathering his thoughts, he pushed off the railing and moved to a nearby bench, sitting down and panting slightly, trying to catch his breath. He shifted slightly when Zoro dropped down next to him, unable to bring his eyes up to meet the other mans. A moment of silence crept by as only the sound of slightly laboured breathing could be heard and Sanji watched the trail of his misty breath in the cold night sky. Finally, Zoro looked to the blonde and scratched his head a little awkwardly, trying to figure out how to phrase his question.

"In... Southampton..." Sanji raised his eyes to meet Zoro's, listening quietly. "In Southampton, from the gang plank. You waved at me... why?" Sanji's eyes grew wide and he turned his head forward, tracing his memories. A snicker spread across his face and he let out a short bark of laughter. "W-What?" Zoro blushed deeply, watching the blonde laugh.

"You're unexpectedly cute," snickered Sanji, resting his hand on Zoro's arm. Zoro jumped slightly at the action but relaxed just as quickly, patiently waiting for an explanation. "I wasn't waving at you, moron, I was waving at a woman. A bit smaller than me, short black hair... Pretty face." He gave Zoro another grin and stood up, practicing his stretches. Zoro absentmindedly followed the blonde's movements as his brain slowly processed the information.

_Of course. It was Kuina all along._ He shook his head, an annoyed smile gracing his face when he thought of how stupid he'd been to assume Sanji had noticed him. He was slightly thankful when Luffy came bounding towards him, Gin going straight for Sanji, to drag the two of them back to the bar.

The night drew to a close and Zoro found himself being led down the corridors of the Titanic, directed straight to his room by Luffy, Sanji and Gin. Gin was a hard person to figure out. In any case, he had the distinct feeling the man didn't like him. But when Luffy had decided Zoro could find his way back with only Sanji for company, he became deep in the resolve he didn't like the man when he drunkenly kissed Sanji's lips. It was only for a split second, but it had happened. Luffy was on Gin like a shot, pulling him off Sanji and pushing him the opposite direction. It felt to Zoro like Gin was marking his territory and it didn't sit right with Zoro at all. Not that he cared if Sanji and Gin were involved; it was just something he wouldn't want to associate with. Love between men was unthinkable. Especially for a man like Zoro. His thoughts turned back to the present when he found himself in front of his cabin door.

"Thanks. For showing me back." Zoro leaned next to the door, fumbling in his pocket for his keys.

"S'ok." Sanji mumbled. He had to admit to himself that he was a little drunk. Zoro looked at him expectantly. "What?"

"Don't you have your own cabin to go to?" Sanji stared at the man for a few seconds, his eyes half lidded as he nodded his head.

"Yeah, I forgot." He turned on his heal and wondered slowly away from Zoro as he unlocked his door, opening it just a crack before looking back at the drunken man stumbling away. Said blonde timidly turned his head to look at him. "Uh... Can I see a first class room?" Zoro grinned and nodded, holding open his door. Sanji smiled brightly and quickly ducked inside, taking in his surroundings while Zoro turned on the lights.

"What do you think?"

"It's bigger than my house!" Sanji exclaimed, his mouth dropping to gape at Zoro. Zoro suppressed a chuckle.

"It's way too big, don't you think? Stupidly big for only one person." He tossed his keys to a beautifully decorated coffee table and took a seat on the sofa that lay adjacent. He allowed his head to drop back and he closed his eyes, fighting the drunkenness that threatened to take away his senses. Sanji explored the room, taking in the decorations and admiring the balcony. What kind of ship had balconies for the cabins? The Titanic was certainly a luxury ship.

Zoro became vaguely aware of the dent in the sofa next to him and the faint smell of tobacco. He cracked an eye open to see Sanji silently staring back at him. His heart pounded in his chest when Sanji reached out a hand to tentatively run fingers through green hair. Without thinking Zoro mirrored the action, feeling the blonde hair on his fingertips. He swallowed hard when he noticed Sanji's face come slowly closer to his.

"S'soft" murmured Sanji. Zoro only hummed in response, not wanting to move his head so as not to stop Sanji's gentle movements. But they stopped when Sanji pulled his hands away, his cheeks a deep red. He couldn't explain why he was acting the way he was towards another man, so decided it was undoubtedly the drink. Sanji stood abruptly, heading towards the door, Zoro following suit. He opened the door and slowly made his way into the corridor, but before he could say his goodbyes, Zoro had grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"You and Luffy..." He trailed off, speaking a little quieter as a cabin boy walked by, glancing at the two before entering the room opposite Zoro's. When the boy had disappeared he looked back down into Sanji's eyes. "I want you two to join _me_ for dinner too. Tomorrow night. I'll lend you suits, so you don't have to worry. Will you join me?" Sanji took a second to stare at the man before nodding softly.

"Luffy will be a handful you know." Zoro chuckled and smiled at his friend. He glanced up again in annoyance when the cabin boy emerged from the other room; the towels he'd been carrying safely deposited within. Zoro growled and pulled Sanji towards him, back into his cabin before planting a sloppy kiss to Sanji's chin, completely missing his lips in his drunken state. The two laughed before Sanji showed himself out, walking down the corridor.

"Don't forget to tell Luffy!" Zoro called out softly, trying not to wake the other passengers before Sanji disappeared around a corner.

After navigating his way to his bed, Zoro flopped down and closed his eyes, willing the room to stop spinning. He was vaguely aware of what he had just done when he felt something soft brushing his fingers. He opened his eyes to see a faded woollen jumper sitting on his bed. He drew it up to his face and sniffed it. It smelt of cigarettes, sea food and something else he wasn't quite sure about. _Ah. It smells like the cook._ He drew the jumper to his pillow and fell asleep, his face buried in the smell.


	3. Day Three

Sanji's heart was pounding. Last night, or to be more accurate, during the early hours of that morning, Zoro defiantly kissed him. It was a terribly aimed kiss that landed just above the hair sprouting on his chin, but it was defiantly a kiss. Sanji had been kissed before. Both Luffy and Gin had bad habits of placing kisses to his lips in order to scare away unwanted company, but this was different. Zoro hadn't been trying to scare anyone away. Sanji rubbed his eyes with his palms and mumbled curses to himself.

"What's up?" Sanji's eyes shot up to look at the upside down form of Luffy. Sanji dragged a slow finger over his chin. He could still feel the warm imprint from the night before.

"Nothin'. Moss head just..." Sanji trailed of, glancing at the sleeping outline of Gin in the next bunk over. He sighed deeply. "He kissed me... O-on the chin!"He quickly added, blushing furiously. Luffy grinned wildly and nodded his head.

"That's all?" Sanji shot Luffy an incredulous look.

"What do you mean, 'that's all'?" Luffy smiled watching Sanji run his fingers over his chin again. He leaned forward into a flip to land softly in Sanji's lap on the bunk below his.

"It's only a kiss, right? I've kissed you before, so's Gin." Luffy raised a finger to point at the unmoving Gin and Sanji shook his head wildly, only stopping to rub at his eyes.

"That's different!"

"Hm?" Luffy tipped his head to the side. "How's that?" Sanji dropped his hands to his lap and took a second to think on Luffy's words. Eventually he shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes on Luffy's.

"B-Because you two are my friends."

"Zoro's not your friend?"

"N-No... I... I hate the guy..." Luffy grinned again, leaning back slightly to look to the top of the bunk.

"That's not really true, is it?" Sanji paused and rested his forehead in his hands.

"...No."

"How did it feel?"

"Feel?" Asked Sanji, dropping his hand at once. He turned his head as if thinking it through seriously before shaking it and returning Luffy's stare. "I don't know. It was all a mistake anyway, we were really drunk." Luffy's face dropped. "He was probably copying what Gin had done before you two left." Luffy let out a frustrated sigh. He didn't understand why the two were holding back so much, denying their obvious feelings. But he couldn't push them; it was something they had to figure out for themselves. They still had a full week left on the ship after all. But still, Luffy felt a certain urgency towards the two.

"Hmph. I'll talk to him later and see what he's thinking." Sanji raised his finger in memory.

"Oh yeah! We're supposed to eat with him tonight... In first class." Luffy's eyes widened.

"Woah! Awesome!" Luffy grinned wildly thinking of the many courses they would be served. Sanji's food was the best, but he had to admit that the quality of the meat he'd eaten before had been mouth watering. Sanji ruffled Luffy's hair.

"You'll have to be on best behaviour. You can't show Zoro up." Luffy nodded in understanding and smiled at Sanji's concern for the swordsman.

"What times dinner?" Sanji slapped his forehead lightly.

"I didn't ask." Luffy nodded his head quickly.

"I'll go ask." With that Luffy went bounding out of their cabin, returning when he remembered he was still in his bed clothes.

+X+X+X+

Zoro cursed to himself. He remembered kissing... _Someone..._ but he couldn't remember who. He'd spent the entire night dancing and laughing with Luffy, so perhaps he'd kissed his cheek in thanks or with joy. He was sure people of the lower class did that on occasion, he'd seen it all around Europe. But Zoro remembered that there had been a certain emotion involved. Then he remembered the scratch of a beard. So he'd kissed someone's... chin? He remembered Luffy's hairless face and crossed him out instantly. Gin would also be out. He'd never kiss _Gin._ He could tell early on he disliked the man, the way he would hang all over Sanji. Zoro stopped in his train of thought. It was Sanji he'd kissed. _Sanji._ It was Sanji's beard he was remembering, gracing his lips. But even more than the sloppy kiss, his heart raced when he realised he'd fallen asleep cuddling a certain faded jumper, his head buried into the smell of the other man. It was all very frustrating for Zoro. Why was the blonde affecting him like that? Filling his mind with only thoughts of him?

He hadn't noticed Kuina leaning into his bedroom doorframe, so when she asked what he was doing, Zoro thought his skin would completely jump away from his body. He quickly stuffed the jumper under his pillow and turned to face the woman, standing up.

"Ah, Kuina! How are you this morning?" He approached her nervously, hoping she didn't notice the hidden jumper. He had no such luck.

"What's that?" She tilted her head towards the pillow. Zoro scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, nothing, I just forgot to give it back last night." Kuina studied him, a little jealous. She'd wanted to join Zoro last night, see what life was like beyond the formalities she'd become used to.

"Mother wasn't happy you'd skipped dinner last night." She turned her head. She didn't mean for it to sound snappy or accusing, but she was just that little bit jealous. "You'll need to turn up tonight for damage control." Zoro nodded his head cautiously watching the woman.

"Yes, I understand that. I'll be there tonight." He trailed off and narrowed his eyes a little more, carefully looking for reactions. "I'll also be bringing two guests."

"Luffy and Sanji?"

"Yes." Kuina was quiet for a moment.

"You were with Sanji last night, weren't you?" Zoro was a little taken aback. He hadn't expected such a question. Why was Kuina so interested in Sanji all of a sudden? No, that was wrong. She'd been interested in him from the beginning.

"He was there. Along with others. I met an interesting guy named Gin, an Irish man. He'd helped build the ship, along with another guy. Franky. You should have seen his arms, they were huge! I also met a musician, Brook. He had the most peculiar hair." Kuina watched Zoro's face light up with a number of emotions. She'd known the man since they were only children and had never seen his face anything other than impassive. It was completely new to see him as he was now. Any jealousy she'd had until then was lost as she silently thanked Luffy for the change in him. She sat at the end of his bed and listened intently to what he had done and who he had met last night. She heard nothing of the scratch of a beard.

+X+X+X+X+

Sanji was nervous. He wanted to talk to Zoro, find out his thoughts of last night's drunken goodbye, but he was a little scared to hear the answer. What if it was all a stupid mistake and he was getting worked up about it all on his own? Eventually Sanji's curiosity had gotten the better of him and he found himself climbing the stairs to the first class deck, needing to know Zoro's thoughts. He'd had the sense to dress in proper attire, but it was clear from the looks he was getting that he hadn't put enough effort in and he was still sticking out like a sore thumb. His fears were momentarily forgotten when he danced over to a well dressed group of beautiful young women, showering them with compliments and placing a manner of kisses to their hands. He grunted in annoyance when a hand clapped to his shoulder and dragged him backwards, apologising to the confused women. Sanji's eyes widened and his stomach seemed to flip when he found himself in the grip of Zoro who was leading him away to a more quiet part of the deck, dropping him into an empty deckchair. He took the seat next to him and stared at Sanji. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Sanji jolted back to reality, realizing Zoro was waiting for him to explain himself.

"Uh, sorry. I only came up here to talk to you; I just ended up talking to those ladies by mistake." Zoro raised a brow suspiciously.

"You spoke to them in good manner, right? No swearing?" Sanji shot him a shocked look. He looked offended and Zoro was already regretting the question.

"Of course I didn't swear at them, shit-head! I'd never swear at a lady!" He reached for a cigarette that was quickly confiscated.

"There's no smoking on this part of the ship." Sanji snorted in annoyance.

"I thought Mr. First Class could do whatever he wanted." Zoro chuckled at the statement and turned to lean back in the deckchair.

"Actually it's the complete opposite." Sanji studied Zoro's face and nodded in understanding. "What did you want to talk about?" Sanji's thoughts touched lightly at the kiss he'd been given the night before.

"Last night..." The blonde trailed off. He turned his head back around when he felt the blood rushing to his cheeks. Perhaps he couldn't ask about it after all. He was probably making a big deal out of nothing anyway. He could feel Zoro's scrutinising gaze. "You asked for Luffy and I to join you for dinner. I was just wondering what time you wanted us to arrive." It wasn't the question Zoro had expected. At the mention of last night Zoro's mind had conjured up images of a drunken goodbye.

"Ah. Well, with us it's not just a dinner, it's a social gathering too, so you two should come to my room at about three in the afternoon. I'll set you up with some suits and give Luffy a quick lesson in polite behaviour." Sanji raised a brow and looked at his shabby attire. Zoro noticed and grabbed his arm in apology. "I don't mean you don't look good already, 'cus I think you do. It's just that the others are—"

"You think I look good?" Zoro's mouth clamped shut when Sanji interrupted. Just as quickly he dropped his arm and turned away.

"I didn't mean it like... I mean, I did, but not..." Zoro decided it was way too hot out on the deck and tugged at the buttons of his shirt. "Just meet me at three." Zoro stood and turned abruptly, walking away stiffly as Sanji watched him leave.

+X+X+X+X+

Three o'clock, in Sanji's opinion, had come around far too quickly. He considered forgetting the invitation to dinner and running back to his room to hide under his covers. His plan was foiled when Luffy clamped his hand down on Sanji's shoulders and knocked on Zoro's cabin door. Movement was heard inside before the door creaked open and Luffy bounded in, pushing Zoro back. Sanji shuffled in after him and Zoro shot an annoyed look at a passing gentleman who turned his nose up to his friend's shabby clothing before closing the door. Sanji took a seat on the sofa they had sat together on just the night before. Zoro blushed at the memory and decided to watch Luffy bounding around his room. He disappeared into the bedroom reappearing a second later holding an old woollen jumper. Both Sanji and Zoro stared at him a little shocked. Luffy just grinned.

"What's this doing here?" Sanji shot from the sofa and took a step forward, his hands outstretched as if he were trying to hide something bad he'd done.

"I just borrowed it from him and forgot to give it back. That's all," Zoro smiled to Luffy and patted Sanji's back in reassurance. Luffy pushed out his bottom lip as if he'd wanted a more pleasing answer. "I'll give it to you after dinner, ok?" Sanji nodded his head and Luffy tossed the jumper back onto the bed loosing interest when the explanation wasn't to his liking. Zoro walked past Luffy and patted his straw hat.

"Let's fit you guys out." Luffy shot Sanji an excited grin and the two followed Zoro to an oversized wardrobe filled with an assortment of different clothing of all sizes and shapes. He regarded Sanji's size quietly and pulled out a black dress suit, holding it up to the blonde man.

"This should be ok. You're not as well built as me, but it'll work." Sanji shot him an annoyed look, but took the suit anyway.

"Na, Zoro, don't you have anything a bit more colourful?" Luffy riffled through the seemingly endless supply of black suits.

"I'm afraid not!" Zoro laughed at Luffy and handed him the smallest suit he had. "There's kind of a big height difference between us... Perhaps I'll need Kuina's help after all." Luffy smiled and nodded his head, studying Sanji's reactions intently.

"Should we dress now?" Sanji studied the fine stitching of the coat he had been given.

"Yeah. Um... Do you want to change in the bathroom?" Luffy laughed lightly, his trousers already snapped from their suspenders and pooling around his feet.

"Why do we need to do that? 'S not like we'll be checking each other out or anything... right?" He shot Sanji a smile and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sanji could only stare at him in shock for what the younger boy had just implied. Zoro scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, I guess you're right." He pulled out a suit for himself and went about undoing his shirt and tie, staring at the floor. Sanji glanced at him when his shirt was slipped off revealing his muscular torso and tan skin. Sanji stared thoughtfully at the muscles that seemed to ripple with every move he made. When Zoro had slipped on his new shirt he thought of how foolish he'd just been and returned to dressing himself. Luffy could do nothing but grin as he watched the two. How interested Sanji was! And the bashful movements of Zoro seemed truly unnatural to the man. A light cough drew everyone to look at the doorway. Kuina stood with her arms crossed leaning to one side.

"It seems I've walked in on something very interesting."

"Ah! It's Kenya!" Luffy smiled, raising his hand to greet the woman. Kuina stared at the hand that couldn't be seen under the too long white sleeve.

"It's _Kuina._" She stepped towards Luffy and took his arm in her hands, rolling his sleeves up so she could see his hands. "You must be Sanji, right." She turned her head to the blonde, who quickly tucked his shirt into his trousers and ran to her side, clasping her right hand.

"Oh~! I'm so happy such a beautiful woman as yourself already knows my name! I thank the heavens fate allowed us to meet on the most beautiful ship on the seas. Of course, it is nothing in comparison to you Miss Kui—"

"Shut up, Sanji!" Luffy pushed the blonde away from Kuina, restraining him on the bed. He shot a nervous glance to Zoro, wondering if he was upset.

"Oi, oi! Luffy! Let go!" Sanji struggled against the inhuman strength of the tiny boy until he noticed Zoro ushering Kuina out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He relaxed in Luffy's grip, lying back on the bed. "Oi. They involved?" Luffy turned his attention to Sanji. His eyes were covered by blonde hair and he couldn't read the cooks emotions. Luffy shrugged and rolled off him.

"Something like that." They were silent as Sanji sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. Why was he letting himself get so worked up? Obviously it was because no woman should be forced to put up with Zoro's shitty attitude is all. He was only looking out for Kuina... Right?

"Shit." Luffy turned a smile to Sanji.

"There's no reason you should give up though." Sanji gawped at Luffy.

"Luffy... Just how much do you know?"

"I know that you and Zoro are—" Luffy was cut off by the man himself pushing open the door. Kuina looked in timidly, clearly just getting a scolding from Zoro for always walking into his bedroom without permission.

"Luffy, Kuina's gunna fix your outfit so it'll fit better. Don't squirm around or you'll get a needle stuck in you." Luffy nodded and walked into the living area following Kuina. Zoro turned to his attention on Sanji. "How about you? Everything fit?" Sanji glanced up at the swordsman.

"Not sure. How does it look?" He stood up and gave a twirl. He knew he was baiting Zoro, studying his reaction, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. He wanted to know everything Zoro thought about him.

"I think you look... Good." Zoro recalled their earlier conversation and repeated his words. Sanji noticed the repetition and nodded. He wasn't sure what Zoro was trying to say by that, but acknowledged it as a compliment. Zoro turned to his wardrobe. "You're missing a tie though." Sanji stopped in his thoughts, looking up at the man holding out a tie. An embarrassing question bubbled in his throat and before he could stop himself he found himself asking;

"Will you put it on for me?" Zoro's eyebrows rose. He was sure Sanji could put on a tie; he'd seen him wearing one before, so why was he asking him something like that? Catching the confusion on the other man's face, Sanji laughed and ruffled his hair. "Sorry, I dunno why I-" Sanji's mouth clamped shut when Zoro wrapped the tie around his neck and proceeded to do it up. "H-Hey! I was just kidding, moron!"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up and let me do it." Sanji ceased his struggles and watched the swordsman's fingers work. His thoughts drifted to the night he'd watched him training, there was allot of skill and grace in those hands. He found himself wanting to watch him train again. Train _with_ him. Sanji hadn't noticed Zoro's movement stopping, or that he was staring at his face. Sanji flicked his eyes up to look into Zoro's. They stared at each other for a few moments.

"Hey, you know last night? Just before I left?" Sanji's breath hitched. His heart was beating erratically and he could no longer control the flips of his stomach.

"Hn," grunted Zoro in response, leaning into the blonde, feeling the uneven breath on his face. Sanji closed his eyes appreciating the closeness as Zoro's hands slowly moved from his tie to his hair, running his fingers through it softly.

"Do you-"

"Zoro! Look it fits!" Zoro roughly pushed Sanji away from him as the door flew open and Luffy bounded towards the two. Sanji growled and threw his foot up hitting the swordsman's shoulder. Luffy stared at the two as Zoro grabbed Sanji's ankle and yanked it towards him with an angry scowl painted across his face.

"What on Earth?" Kuina gasped and covered her mouth with her hand out of shock.

"Ah, don't worry, they're just fighting again." Luffy smiled and patted Kuina's back roughly in an attempt to comfort her. "Zoro, Kuina told me what to say and stuff, so we can go to the party now, okay?" Sanji ripped his leg away and Zoro turned to Luffy. Both were visibly startled, their breathing slightly laboured and both were red in the face. Luffy just grinned.

+X+X+X+X+

The four walked towards the ship's first class social room. Sanji wringed his hands nervously. It had taken a long time to sneak in there on the first night and he eyed the guards nervously, hoping they wouldn't recognise him. He felt a hand gently graze his own right hand and looked down to see Zoro's calloused fingers wrapping around his palm. He snapped his head up to find the man's face leaning into his ear.

"Don't worry, just act as if you belong and they'll assume you do." He hesitated. "You look good." Sanji felt his stomach flutter and squeezed the hand back in understanding. The hand wavered, but much to Sanji's dismay, slid away. Sanji mentally cursed himself when he realized that had made him a little disappointed, and stuffed his hand into his pocket. He eyed Kuina wearily as she took Zoro's outstretched arm with her own and allowed him to gently escort her further into the room. Luffy slinked up to Sanji's side and smiled, still wearing the straw hat he'd fought with Zoro to let him keep on the condition he only wore it around his neck. He tugged Sanji's left arm from its pocket and clasped his hand.

"Shall we make Zoro jealous?" Sanji gawped at the boy.

"Why would I want to make Zoro jealous?" Luffy gave him a knowing look and smiled.

"'Cus Zoro's making _you_ jealous." Sanji's cheeks heated as he allowed himself to be dragged along by Luffy to catch up with Kuina and Zoro. Luffy may act childish, but he was in no way stupid. Perhaps he couldn't tell you the capitol of England or the Queen's name, but he was more in touch with people's feelings than anyone Sanji had met before. It was a little unnerving to think Luffy knew more about him than he knew himself.

"I'm not sure if you two should be holding hands." Zoro stared at the two as they walked towards him. Even with all his years in the first class environment, he wasn't sure if this was acceptable or not. They were both men after all.

"I think it should be fine." Kuina added, turning her attention to the two. "Luffy's a little childish, isn't he? I think the women will find that an adorable trait." Luffy nodded his head and reached for Zoro's right hand.

"If it's a problem for two men, then it should be fine as long as there's three, right?" Kuina smiled at Luffy's reasoning and nodded. She patted Zoro's arm with her free hand.

"It'll be fine. You can't help but like Luffy, don't you agree?" Zoro nodded. That was defiantly true. The four walked confidently through the crowds, Kuina and Zoro greeting people they knew with nodding heads and sweet smiles, not stopping to talk for fear of what might spill from the mouth of the straw hated boy. They had a bigger obstacle to face first.

"Zoro! You decided to grace us with your presence tonight?" Luffy felt Zoro's hand tense a little before it relaxed again, just as quickly.

"Mother, I am sorry. I'm afraid I had a prior engagement I could not, in good mind, back away from." Luffy followed Zoro's eyes to an older woman sitting in a rather lavish chair. She had long brown hair, streaked with wisps of white, gracefully falling over her shoulders onto an elegantly coloured dress. Her hair framed her face nicely seeming to illuminate her dark eyes, the same eyes as Zoro. She was sat surrounded by women clad in similar clothing, but Luffy had the impression she was the most dominant of the pack. Sanji's mind had regarded the group quickly, taking in their faces so he could remember them later, but turning his attention back to Zoro's formal speech pattern. He was amazed the shitty swordsman could speak so politely and suppressed a laugh. Zoro shot him a dangerous look before turning back to his mother.

"And what, may I ask, is possibly so important that you would miss a meal?" Zoro pulled Luffy's arm up, almost picking him off of the floor.

"I met a young man and agreed to spend some time with him. He is travelling on his own and had no one to talk to. I couldn't rightfully leave him by himself, so we shared a game of billiards." Sanji snickered. The man could lie so easily, and to his mother to boot! Zoro's mother eyed Luffy who smiled back in a childish way. He stepped forward, still gripping both Zoro and Sanji's hands and took a deep bow, his hat falling forward.

"My names Luffy, I'm very pleased to meet. Thank you for letting me borrow Zoro, he was very fun." The group of women laughed lightly and regarded Luffy with curious eyes.

"What a sweet boy. And travelling all by himself? I'm amazed." Luffy raised his head and gave another of his wide smiles. Zoro sighed in relief.

"Of course, Zoro is a very kind man indeed." A woman's voice caught the group's attention and all heads turned towards a red headed girl. Sanji couldn't help admiring the voluptuous breasts framed in her small dress. "I'm very envious of Miss. Kuina. If I were her I would be very careful so as not to lose him to another. It could happen at any moment with a man as handsome as him." Kuina regarded the girl with a cautious look. She was used to women shamelessly flirting with Zoro in front of her, but never were they so straight forward. It took a moment for Sanji to register what had been said. Was this woman implying Kuina and Zoro were an item? Luffy furrowed his brow and turned to the red head.

"Na, Zoro's not gunna marry Kuina, silly. He's gunna marry Sanji." All eyes turned to Luffy, Sanji and Zoro shooting him incredulous looks, each of their faces turning beet red as Luffy pulled Sanji forward by the hand as if presenting him to the women. A moment of silence passed where Zoro was sure everyone could hear the pounding in his chest. He visibly calmed down when he heard his mother's soft laugh.

"My, you are a funny child! Such an imagination." Sanji stepped forward and bowed his head.

"Please forgive Luffy. He certainly does have a wild imagination, but it is undoubtedly because he has the earnest heart of a child. He means no harm." Zoro's mother regarded Sanji for a moment and nodded her head.

"I will assume you are the Sanji who will marry my son?" Sanji's heart raced a little quicker at the question and Luffy grinned, feeling the quick pulse in the hand he was still gripping. He nodded his head lightly.

"I fear that is me. But worry not; I have every intention of keeping faithful." The women giggled lightly, Zoro's face becoming even hotter than before. His mother stared at Sanji, studying him carefully, making him panic slightly. "Please do not pay attention to anything the young boy says, it is all in jest really. Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Sanji Blackleg. It's a pleasure to make acquaintances with so many beautiful women. The heavens must be smiling down on me today." Zoro stared at Sanji in shock. He pulled it off beautifully. He hardly resembled the foul mouthed cook he'd become accustomed to. Zoro's mother nodded her head as if in acceptance and motioned to the other women she was sat with, listing off their names. She motioned to the women on her right, the woman with red hair who had spoken before was called Nami. She was sat with her best friend, a slightly older woman, Robin. To the right was a sweet looking blonde woman with a soft face called Connis, and a light haired woman named Vivi, a princess. Zoro raised his brow at that. His mother was certainly working hard in her socialising. Zoro's mother, Lillian, introduced herself last before motioning to Kuina.

"Kuina is Zoro's fiancé; they are to be married next year." Sanji's heart felt as if it would stop beating right there. That's what that Nami woman had been talking about? Zoro gave Sanji a nervous glance and turned to smile at the group of women who were giving their congratulations. All but the black haired woman, Robin, who gave him an odd smile and said nothing, studying his face quietly. Luffy could do nothing but push out his bottom lip in a pout as Lillian patted the boys head. The four politely said their goodbyes and continued to walk around the room, their hands and arms still linking. Zoro was under strict orders to socialise and make connections, so he proceeded to talk to perfect strangers who somehow knew his name until his mother called them over to eat.

+X+X+X+X+

Zoro had wanted to sit at the edge of the group next to Luffy so he could both cushion his new friends from sitting by perfect strangers, and keep his eye on Luffy simultaneously. Instead he found himself sitting between Luffy and Sanji, being forcibly put there by Luffy himself. Kuina sat on Luffy's other side, with Nami and Robin coming next. Sanji found himself with Zoro to his right with Connis and Vivi on his left. Lillian sat in the remaining place. Luffy stared down at his cutlery, an incredulous look on his face.

"I use ALL of these?" Lillian laughed lightly and nodded her head. Zoro leaned towards Luffy and explained quickly the use of each knife, fork and spoon.

"Forgive me for asking but are you two not first class passengers?" Nami asked, staring at the two with careful eyes. Zoro raised his hand in defence.

"Do they not look like first class passengers?" Nami was quiet. "Please don't judge Luffy on his actions. As Sanji so rightly put it, he has a child's heart and was sheltered by his parents. He's never eaten a stately meal 'til this day." Sanji was yet again amazed by the swordsman's lies. Not one to be outdone, he spoke next.

"It is a shame I haven't seen such a beautiful woman around the first class deck, but I suppose that shows the Titanic is indeed the largest ship the world has seen."

"Indeed." Lillian ran her eyes over the blonde. "Tell me, what does your father do?" Sanji froze, clamping his hands to the bottom of his chair.

"Ah, I'm afraid my dear father has since passed away." Zoro turned to face Sanji, a look of shock on his face. He wondered if what Sanji was saying was the truth, why would he openly tell strangers something like that? And why did it feel like his mother was deliberately baiting him?

"I was adopted since then by a wonderful man named Zeff. He taught me to cook and we ran a restaurant together in France, the Baratie. I recommend you visit if you are ever in the area." Vivi smiled politely and nodded her head asking on the location. Zoro stared at Sanji before he felt a tug at his side. He leaned down and allowed Luffy to whisper in his ear, confirming that all Sanji had said was true. He turned to look at the cook again and smiled. He was grateful to have learned something about the other man, even if it had to be in such circumstances. Sanji couldn't help the soft smile that tugged at his mouth. It seemed almost intimate, revealing his history like that. It was something he never really cared to do, but with Zoro sitting next to him, he felt the need to explain himself, happy in the knowledge he was able to open up to the other man. Lillian eyed the two quizzically.

"You are a cook, Mr. Blackleg?" All attention was once again drawn to her. Sanji coughed lightly.

"Yes, I am."

"He's not just a cook." Luffy leaned forward in his chair. "He's the best in the world! He's my personal chef!" Sanji's cheeks heated when he noticed the smile that Zoro couldn't help stretching on his lips. Zoro silently agreed when thinking back to the food he'd sampled the night before, Sanji was defiantly the best chef he'd ever met. Lillian studied the two with a scrutinizing gaze. She didn't like the way the two would interact with each other. She had never seen the emotions Zoro was so eagerly showing to the other man in ever his whole life. She didn't like it.

"How odd. I always thought such a profession was more suited to... the lower classes." Sanji and Zoro's heads shot up to look at Lillian, Sanji's face reddening and gripping the bottom of his chair a little tighter. Zoro was at a loss of what to do. So his mother was truly baiting the cook? Why was she doing it? Why couldn't she see him like he did? Zoro gingerly reached over to Sanji's hand, lacing his fingers with his own. Sanji glanced down and back up to see Zoro's reassuring gaze. He loosened his grip on the chair and allowed Zoro to fully hold his hand.

"I can't say I agree with that, Miss. Roronoa." He gave Zoro another quick glance. Zoro nodded his ok and Sanji continued. If he messed up, he wouldn't be the one in trouble; it would all be on Zoro. That didn't sit right with him at all. "Everyone needs to eat, and I refuse to discriminate between classes. I can only see the smiles on people's faces when they enjoy a meal. And I enjoy the preparation." Zoro and Luffy each nodded in agreement. After processing the answer, Vivi, Connis and Nami each gave their opinions on the matter but ended up agreeing.

"Of course, Mr. Blackleg must have a very clear picture of the world." Robin gave a smile and Sanji returned it with a grin of his own. Lillian stared at the boy before returning to a conversation with Nami. When Zoro felt Sanji had given a good reason and reaction, he pulled his hand away from the others and silently missed the warmth it had given. The dinner went smoothly with Sanji occasionally being asked about the food, with what he'd do differently, and Luffy keeping the mess to a minimum.

"Zoro, should you not have taken a seat by Kuina? She is your fiancée, after all." Zoro was slightly taken aback with his mother's question. Why was she asking something like that? He'd sat away from her before. Kuina gave him a worried look.

"Yes, perhaps I should have, if not for Luffy having cheekily moved my placing." Luffy grinned and waved his hand.

"Na, its fine, isn't it? We're all friends, it doesn't matter who we sit by."

"Perhaps it would have been right to sit next to the one you love though, Zoro." Vivi timidly chimed in. Zoro's stomach flipped when he thought of sitting next to Sanji.

"Perhaps Mr. Roronoa could not bear the thought of Miss. Kuina being seated next to Mr. Blackleg?" Robin rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a small knowing smile gracing her lips as she studied the reactions her words were provoking. Zoro had to re-think Robin's words quickly. Did she mean he wanted to keep the cook to himself? Impossible. Robin smiled at the silence before continuing. "Mr. Blackleg is certainly an attractive man, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think Kuina, being a healthy young woman wouldn't notice such a thing." Zoro let out a shaky breath and returned the smile, a little cautiously.

"He is indeed... 'Handsome'." Sanji's eyes widened slightly, but he kept his head down, finding his napkin suddenly very interesting. "As you put it. But I would not need to worry about such a thing. Kuina and I are very much content with each other." Zoro and Kuina smiled at each other and Sanji's spirits dropped just a little.

"I think it is I that should worry more about Zoro being taken away than the other way around. Zoro is very handsome himself." Kuina laughed and took a sip of her wine. Just as the plates were being cleaned away, Zoro felt a hand clamping down on his shoulder. The same man as the first night smiled down at him.

"Care for a brandy tonight, Zoro?" Zoro mentally grimaced and placed another of his well trained smiles on his face. He'd blown the man off the other night, but he couldn't do it again, not when his mother was staring after him. He nodded his head and went to stand.

"I'm sorry to have to part from you ladies, but I'm afraid duty calls. Kuina, I'll trust you to escort Luffy and Sanji?" Shocked at the sound of his own name falling from the swordsman's lips, Sanji unconsciously went to grab the man's arm. When he found Zoro staring at him he became at a loss of what to say before stuttering out the first thing that came into his mind.

"Uh, c-can I join you?" He mentally slapped himself for sounding so needy. "That is, if I would not bother you. Zoro." Zoro raised his eyebrow at the mention of his own name. Then it hit him. That was the first time either of them had actually heard the other say their name. He stifled a cough and nodded his head.

"You can, Sanji. Luffy, if you'd like to join us too?"

"I'll come too, _Zoro_." Luffy grinned up to the other man, knowingly. Zoro had to give the kid credit, he picked up on everything. The two stood up, saying their goodbyes and followed Zoro and the other man to a smoke filled bar. Luffy poked his tongue out in disapproval as he watched Zoro greedily filling a glass with brandy and Sanji light up a cigarette. The older gentleman laughed and patted Zoro on the shoulder for his hefty drink and turned away to talk to another group of men. After a while, Zoro ruffled Luffy's hair and led the two out of the room.

"Sorry about that. I've got certain... responsibilities." Sanji nodded his head and Luffy tugged at the sleeve of his jacket.

"Can we go to a _real_ party now?"

+X+X+X+X+

Kuina had waited patiently for the others return, so when they spilled into Zoro's cabin door she let out an aggravated sigh.

"You guy's took ages."

"Yeah, sorry. What are you doing here?" Zoro slipped off his dinner jacket and slinked into his bedroom.

"You're going back out again, aren't you?" Zoro poked his head around the doorframe and stared at Kuina in disbelief.

"How did you know that?" She shrugged.

"I just got the feeling. Will you let me go with you?" Luffy gave Kuina a knowing look and nodded his head.

"Sure. You're like Zoro, right? You wanna see how much fun it is!" Kuina grinned and nodded her head.

"In any case, you can't wear those clothes." Zoro eyed the woman's lavish dress. Kuina just grinned.

"I thought of that." She held up a modified version of one of Zoro's suits. Zoro regarded it with curiosity, remembering a conversation they'd had when they were young about Kuina wishing she'd been born a man. Luffy smiled again.

"We need to change back too, don't we? I hate these clothes, they're stifling." With that Luffy bounded into Zoro's bedroom and grabbed the clothes he'd neglected before. "I guess Kuina needs to change in the bathroom?" Kuina nodded and hurried out the room as Sanji entered the bedroom. He eyed Zoro wearily as he stripped his clothes to replace them with more of his dark training clothes. They were just a little bit too tight across his chest and showed a nice, manly figure.

_Manly figure._ Sanji shook his head and proceeded to change. He really needed to figure out why his body was reacting the way it was. It was probably just respect for the man. Hopefully. Kuina appeared again when everyone was dressed and ready. She smiled and followed the boys as they strolled out the room.

+X+X+X+X+

Sanji felt frustrated. Kuina had been all over Zoro all night. Perhaps that wasn't the right way to describe it. She wasn't doing anything lewd, just holding his hand, keeping him next to her. And now they were dancing. Then there was the outfit Kuina was wearing. With her short hair, she really did look more like a man. So Zoro was dancing with a man. And holding hands with a man. And kissing a man. Sanji let out a frustrated grown and took a swig of the whiskey he was drinking. As if materialising from nowhere, Luffy stared into his face with concern before lifting himself up to crouch in a seat next to him.

"It really looks like Zoro's dancing with a man, doesn't it?" Sanji glanced at Luffy and returned his attention to Zoro and Kuina. At some point, Porche had appeared and was squeezing Kuina's cheeks, clearly thinking of her as a man. Sanji shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his drink. "Y'know, it's ok to say what you're thinking." Sanji trailed his eyes across Luffy wondering just how much the little monkey knew about him.

"And what do you think I'm thinking?" Luffy smiled and patted Sanji's back.

"That you want to dance with Zoro!" Sanji spit out his drink, soaking Luffy's face. "Ew, Sanji, that's gross!" Luffy scrubbed at his face whipping the whiskey away.

"What?" Luffy turned his attention back to his friend.

"It was gross! You spat your drink at me."

"No, not that," exclaimed Sanji. "What are you talking about with... with me and Zoro?" Luffy adjusted his hat and pointed to Zoro with his thumb.

"If you like Zoro so much, why don't you just tell him?" Sanji regarded Luffy quietly and shook his head.

"Who said anything about liking the shitty moss head?" Luffy smiled.

"You don't need to say anything." Sanji felt his cheeks heat and let out a strained laugh.

"Is that so?"

"I don't think Kuina would mind much either." Sanji faced Luffy head on and rested his chin in his hand.

"And for what possible reason would Kuina not mind me stealing away her future husband?" Luffy gave a kind of knowing grin and Sanji cringed at his own use of wording.

"Because she loves Zoro so much." Sanji stared at Luffy with a blank face. Luffy got the picture and carried on. "She loves him so much she just wants him to be happy. Even if it's not with her." Sanji considered the competent thoughts of his younger friend.

"Then what if I feel the same and would be happy to see him with Kuina?" Luffy gave another of his knowing looks and pointed at Zoro and Kuina as they danced.

"Don't you think Kuina looks really happy?" Sanji turned his head and nodded groggily. He didn't need to be reminded about that. "And Zoro? Doesn't he look distracted?" Sanji shifted his attention to Zoro who kept glancing from Kuina to where they were sat, to his feet and back. Luffy studied Sanji's face a little closer. "He thinks you're checking Kuina out." Sanji's eyes shot open. He started to defend himself out of instinct until Luffy raised his hand for him to stop. "He's jealous 'cus you're not looking at him."

+X+X+X+X+X+

In the early hours of the morning, the four trudged back to Zoro's cabin with Kuina asleep on Zoro's back. At some point Luffy had linked Zoro and Sanji's hands together and no one had noticed, as if it were the most natural thing to do. Luffy had to thank the drink that they were unaware of what he'd done or else he'd find himself at the end of a fist and a foot. Zoro rummaged around his pocket and finally managed to unlock the door, pushing it open with a drunken forehead. The four filed into the cabin, Luffy and Sanji collapsing onto the sofa while Zoro carried Kuina to his bed. He appeared again, collapsing next to Sanji and Luffy. Luffy stretched his body out on Zoro's lap.

"That was a good night!" Zoro chuckled and let his head fall on Sanji's shoulder; his eyes closed trying to stop the room spinning.

"I drank more than yesterday... But I think Kuina enjoyed herself. I'm stuck sleeping on the sofa though." Luffy gave a bright grin.

"Sleepover?" Zoro opened his eyes in confusion and Sanji explained the basics of a sleepover. Eventually, Zoro smiled and nodded his head slightly. Luffy cheered as Zoro pushed him from his lap and stood up to retrieve a pile of blankets from his room. They stayed up a long while, talking and laughing until Luffy could no longer hold his head up and drifted into sleep. Zoro lifted him and placed him in a single chair, wrapping a blanket around him softly. Sanji laughed.

"That was very fatherly of you moss-head." Zoro grunted and took his seat on the floor, leaning his arms on the sofa Sanji had stretched out on. He grunted and closed his eyes.

"Gotta practice, right? I'll be a father one day too." Sanji stared at the man a moment.

"Planning on having kids with Kuina?" Zoro cracked an eye open.

"I have to."

"You don't sound too pleased with it." Zoro gave an exasperated sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not. Not really. Kuina feels more like a sister to me. Or brother." The two laughed quietly, thinking of the attire she had adorned that night. Sanji hummed thoughtfully looking out a dark window.

'_He's jealous 'cus you're not looking at him' _Sanji rubbed his chin thoughtfully, thinking of his earlier conversation with Luffy. _'If you like Zoro so much, why don't you just tell him?' _Zoro looked at the thinking cook.

"You're real quiet. What you thinkin' 'bout?" Sanji looked at the other man as if considering something.

"Fuck it." With that, Sanji tugged Zoro's clothes and pulled him up planting a kiss on his lips. He felt the green haired man stiffen slightly before he relaxed and pushed back, pushing the blonde into the sofa and straddling his lap. Sanji slid his tongue along Zoro's bottom lip and Zoro opened his mouth allowing him to slip his tongue inside. As Zoro tasted Sanji he thought that that must have been the best taste in the world, even better that the man's cooking, if that was possible. And Sanji must be the best kisser in existence. Of course he'd never kissed anyone before now, not in the way he was now. Even when he'd kissed Kuina, it had been a simple touching of lips, but this... This was passionate. He could feel the other man's tongue invading his mouth, carefully feeling it out and committing it to memory. But he supposed that however it was executed, when feelings were involved a kiss became that much sweater. Sanji allowed his hands to wonder over the swordsman's body feeling out the muscle before resting on the crook of his ass, tracing his fingers over the dip beneath his clothing. Zoro could do nothing but moan into the other man's mouth only stopping the others kisses to try and even his own breathing, repeating the blonde's name. Sanji shivered when Zoro buried his face in the crook of his neck and laid soft kisses along his collarbone. Sanji panted and allowed his hands to drift along Zoro's thigh, slipping his fingers into the top of his trousers, softly grazing the swordsman's most sensitive area. Zoro dropped his head to rest on Sanji's chest, letting out a mix of heavy breathing and moans. When Zoro was confident enough to continue, he slowly trailed his hands up the cook's body, popping open the buttons of his shirt.

"Sanji, I want meat~!" The two froze at the sound of Luffy's voice. They turned slowly to see the sleeping boy turned upside down in the chair, his legs hooking around the back. The two laughed lightly at the sight.

"Sorry, moss head, we'll wake the children." Zoro grinned and nodded his head flipping their positions so Sanji laid his head on his chest.

"Good night, shitty cook."

"'Night... asshole."


	4. Day Four

Kuina stood over the sofa studying the mass of sleeping limbs below. Sanji was cuddled up to Zoro's chest who had wrapped his right arm around the blonde's waist and his left hand was tangled in golden hair. Luffy was facing the opposite direction to the two, cuddling Zoro's leg with his arms, his foot pushing Zoro's scowling face to the side. A puddle of drool soaked the swordsman's leg where Luffy's mouth rested. Kuina eyed Sanji's position once more before clapping her hands to wake the men. Luffy was the first to shoot up, a trail of drool connected his mouth to Zoro's leg. When Zoro's eyes opened he mumbled out curses of disgust and pushed Luffy off the sofa with the same leg he'd drooled on. Luffy pushed himself up with his arms and led on the floor, looking around the room in half asleep confusion.

"Na? Is it breakfast time already?" Sanji stirred slightly before cuddling into Zoro a little more.

"Make your own shitty breakfast, mommy's sleeping with daddy." Kuina raised her eyebrows at the words, watching Zoro pull Sanji up so their faces pressed together, Sanji's arms wrapping around Zoro's neck. Luffy sat up groggily and stretched before turning his attention from the sleeping men to Kuina. He grinned sheepishly before jumping on top of the two earning surprised yelps.

"Oi, it's morning already!" Zoro shot to his feet, dropping Sanji back onto the sofa earning a muffled grunt. The blonde sat up slowly rubbing his head.

"Hm? Where are we? Where's Zoro?" Sanji reached forward in his disoriented state and wrapped his fingers around Zoro's shirt tugging on it lightly. Kuina glanced at Sanji and then focused all her attention on Zoro's face that could do nothing but blush. Luffy clamped his hands on Sanji's shoulders and shook him roughly.

"Naa, Sanji, we're in Zoro's cabin. Wake up already you're not making sense." Sanji snapped his head around and threw curses at Luffy until he stopped his shaking, an innocent grin painting his lips. The cook rubbed his eyes, fighting the hangover that was creeping into his head. Zoro turned his head to Kuina and dished out his apologies. Kuina raised her hand for him to stop.

"It's probably time for these guy's to leave, don't you think?" Sanji and Luffy nodded their heads and stood up, Sanji willing the stiffness from his limbs. Zoro escorted them to the door where they said their goodbyes. When Luffy began bounding up the hallway, Sanji hesitated and turned to Zoro.

"Last night..." Zoro's eyes widened with memory. He mentally slapped himself for forgetting such a sweet memory and raised his hand.

"We'll talk about it later, right now my head is pounding." Sanji nodded and turned to leave before Zoro gently gripped his hand. He pulled the cook towards himself and, after casting quick glances around the corridor, places a soft kiss to the cook's mouth. Sanji stared at him incredulously before stiffly turning to walk down the corridor. Zoro let out a nervous breath and turned to Kuina, a smile painting his face. Said smile dropped just as quickly when he noticed the worried expression on the woman's face.

"Zoro." He didn't like how that sounded. Was it about Sanji? "We were fount out." Zoro's eyes narrowed and he stared at her in shock.

"M-Mother?" Kuina nodded her head.

"She was here a little while ago. She was worried that I wasn't sleeping in my own cabin and came to make sure we hadn't... done something reckless." She blushed and turned her eyes away. "She saw you guys all sleeping on the sofa and asked me for an explanation. Sorry, I couldn't lie and told her everything."

"What...?" Zoro's focus tightened as he ran the possibilities through his mind. He gripped Kuina's shoulders and shook her lightly. "Why did you tell her?" Kuina fought back a tear and shook her head as Zoro loosened his grip on her shoulders and fell back into the sofa. Kuina took a tentative step towards him and sat in the space to his right. She was silent for a moment as Zoro buried his face in his hands and nervously thought over his excuses.

"I think she suspects you and Sanji." Zoro shot her a surprised look and instantly tried to defend himself. Kuina raised her hand and gave him a look of forgiveness. "I'm not stupid, Zoro. I can see it a mile off; as I'm sure your mother could as well. I'm... happy for you. Although I wish you could have learned to fall in love with me, I'm glad you found someone you could love. Even if that someone is a man." Zoro studied Kuina's face and looked down, a little ashamed and mumbled out apologies. Kuina shook her head and smiled. "You have more important things to think over. What are you going to tell Lillian?" Zoro pondered that and shook his head.

"Absolutely not that." He gave Kuina a curious look and continued. "Whatever is going on between Sanji and I... It's simply a fleeting thing. By the time the Titanic docks in New York all feelings will have gone and I'll be yours only." Kuina let out a short laugh.

"I could almost believe you. Had you not used the word 'feelings' I would be completely fooled." Zoro gave Kuina another thoughtful look and shook his head. Honestly, he didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the cook, but when they landed in New York, he'd have no choice. Man or woman, they had no future together. Not in the situation he was in now. He stood up and paced the room slightly. He rubbed the back of his head and turned to Kuina.

"I'll go see her now. But first, tell me exactly what you told her."

+X+X+X+X+

Zoro stood at the door of his mother's cabin. He knocked and waited patiently for her to call him in. His mind was racing with a million thoughts all at once when he walked into the lavish room. He took a moment to take in the room that was far more elegantly decorated than his own. He drew his thoughts back in as he approached his mother sitting on the balcony sipping the tea her maid had prepared for her. He sat in the chair adjacent and nodded a thank you to the young woman who poured him a cup. He eyed his mother carefully and drew the cup to his mouth.

"Kuina said you wanted to talk to me." Lillian finally drew her eyes over her son for the first time since he'd entered as the maid stood back against the wall, a tray wrapped in her arms.

"I hear you two went on a bit of an adventure last night." Zoro nodded his head nervously and went to staring at his cup silently. "You went with Luffy and... Mr. Blackleg?" He nodded again. "And they are not first class passengers as you'd led us to believe." Zoro could feel his mother's eyes burning into him and shook his head. "You're relationship with Mr. Blackleg. What is it?" Zoro drew his head up at the question. So it was about him after all. His memory drew to the hazy session on the sofa of the previous night and glanced up at the maid who was shifting on her feet nervously, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "You need not worry about her, she is very loyal and not a word of this will leave this room."

"Our... 'relationship'..." Zoro hesitated at the word. "Is nothing more than friendship. I met him on the first night and we found ourselves with allot in common. That is all." Lillian chuckled slightly and shook her head. She raised her cup to her mouth and glared at her son silently.

"Funny." Zoro cringed and silently let his head drop to stare down at his cup. "If your relationship is simply 'friendship', why do you wear such a guilty expression?" Zoro lifted his head to meet his mother's eyes. "I saw you at dinner, you're clearly lovesick." Zoro looked a little shocked and turned to look at the maid who shifted again, a nervous blush painted her cheeks.

"Sanji and I are not-"

"Do not lie to me." Lillian shot Zoro another angry look. "Not only was it obvious at dinner, I saw the two of you sleeping in each other's arms this morning. Zoro, what if it had not been me to see you? I don't need you ruining my reputation with your childish whims. Really, could you not have sought a bed with a woman? Even that humiliation would have been a thousand times better than to see you with another man. That is truly disgusting. To drag you down a road like that... I don't care what that vulgar Mr. Blackleg does in his own time, but he cannot do it with you. He is truly a disgusting disgrace to men." Zoro slammed his fist on the table.

"Don't talk about him like that!" The maid jumped back, a little scared. Lillian raised her hand to her, telling her to keep calm.

"I will talk about him however I want. He is not one of us, Zoro. He will never be accepted, and neither would you. How could you even think of doing such a thing to Kuina?" Zoro's gaze hardened and he dropped his head again.

"I know all of this; you don't need to tell me." Lillian gave him another thoughtful stare. She then returned to sipping her tea.

"I suggest you never see the boy again." Zoro's head shot up once more and he stumbled over his words. Lillian rose a gracefully hand to silence him. "He was so very kind to tell us all about his restaurant, wasn't he?" Zoro narrowed his eyes, fearful of his mother words. "It would be a shame for its reputation to be... compromised. Wouldn't you agree?" Zoro stared at his mother in disbelief. Was she really implying what he thought she was?

"Are you... threatening me?" He cast another glance to the maid who looked down trying not to meet his eye. Lillian laughed lightly.

"Threatening? My dear, I could never do such a thing to my own son. It's simply a suggestion. It is so sad to see failing restaurants, especially in these times. But I'm sure you would do everything you could to keep Mr. Blackleg's love alive." Zoro felt he could scream. He gripped the end of the table and tried to collect his thoughts. He tried desperately to think of a plan so he wouldn't have to part with the man.

"Mother, whatever impression you were given, I assure you, our relationship is not what you think. In fact, I often find myself regarding him in anger-"

"Then you'll have no problem in ending your meetings. Kuina included. I won't allow you two to attend the festivities below deck either. If you want to protect Mr. Blackleg you will sever all ties with him immediately." Zoro was silent for a moment.

"He'll try to see me." He glanced at the maid who was giving him a shocked look. He supposed that would be a natural reaction to hearing of the relationship between two men.

"Then make him think you don't love him." Zoro thought on the words. When he heard them allowed like that it all made sense. He was probably in love with Sanji. He shook his head and let out a small laugh. What a ridiculous scene he'd put himself in. "You'll have to stop associating with that Luffy boy too." Zoro's eyes narrowed again. "It's a shame; I really did enjoy the boys company. But I'm afraid he is simply far too encouraging of your relationship." Zoro let out an exasperated cry and buried his face in his hand. He stayed like that for a short moment before removing his hand and sitting up straight, a blank look on his face.

"I knew the situation from the beginning. By the time the day is through I'll have completely severed all ties with Mr. Blackleg." Lillian smiled in approval.

+X+X+X+X+

Luffy grinned from ear to ear as he listened to Sanji's recount of last night. He sat at the end of Sanji's bunk listening as the blonde raised his hands explaining the happenings with great emotion. He was glad the two had finally managed to realize their attraction and even act on it. He would no longer have to intervene and just watch as their feelings bloomed. Still, a sort of uneasy feeling was looming over the younger boy and he couldn't explain why. Gin was watching Sanji explain from the next bunk over and scoffed, drawing the other two's attention to rest on him.

"You really think that guy actually _likes_ you?" Luffy shot Gin an angry look while Sanji studied him with curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Gin took it as a sign to continue and lead back in his bunk.

"You're just a game to him. I'll bet he's just seeing what you'd do. You're a commoner and he's Mr. First Class, you really think you'd be able to stay together in the end? He's probably just a closet case, wanting a bit of a thrill in his boring life. He's making a fool out of you."

"Zoro's not like that!" Luffy stood up, his hands balling into fists at his side. "Zoro and Sanji _love_ each other! It doesn't matter who their families are!" Gin glanced at Luffy before returning his gaze to Sanji.

"You sure about that?" Sanji drew his eyes over Gin. "He's got a fiancé, doesn't he?" Luffy shook his head.

"That doesn't matter either, Kuina would just be glad to see Zoro happy. You should feel the same!" Gin sat up at once, his cheeks red.

"Shut up, Luffy! That's got nothing to do with this!" Luffy growled and turned to Sanji.

"Don't listen to Gin, he's just jealous 'cus you only love Zoro." Sanji jumped at the words.

"L-Love? Who said anything about that?" Luffy gave a soft grin.

"You don't have to. Why don't you go ask Zoro himself what he's thinking? Don't listen to Gin, he's a big idiot." Gin protested and went to grab for Sanji's arm before being knocked back by Luffy. Sanji sat for a moment before standing up and leaving the cabin. He could hear Luffy cheering at him as he turned the corridor. As he let his mind roll over the words, a small haze of realization started to creep in. He probably did love Zoro. He laughed to himself and shook his head, thinking how ridiculous the whole situation was. Being the romantic he was, he did believe in love in first sight, but to fall for someone like Zoro? He'd never have expected that. He'd always imagined growing up and falling in love with a beautiful woman with big breasts and a small waist, much like the young woman he'd met before, Nami. They'd have a litter of children and run in flowery fields together while the woman wore a white one piece dress. Picturing Zoro in that situation was a hilarious thought. Sanji could barely hold in his laughter as he pictured the scene. There was no way the chivalrous Sanji would wear the dress after all.

+X+X+X+X+X+

Sanji had wanted to just talk to Zoro and get it over with, so when he found himself swooning in front of the beautiful Kuina he momentarily forgot the swordsman. He hadn't noticed the sad look the woman had been giving him, so when he turned to leave and found a dainty hand clutching his arm he could only look confused.

"Is there something wrong, Miss?" Kuina gave him another weary glance before leading him down the stairs to a more secluded area. She turned to him and gave him an apologetic look.

"Sanji... You can't see Zoro anymore." Sanji's heart jumped to his throat.

"H-How do you mean?" Kuina gave him a strained look and dropped her head apologetically. Zoro had told her about the conversation with his mother and thoroughly hated the situation. But what she hated more was that she felt just a little glad to have Zoro to herself. The thought made her feel guilty and she blushed from embarrassment.

"You and he... You're not... compatible." Sanji gave her a nervous stare. Did she know about the situation? Was she marking her territory? He thought back to Gin's words and shook his head.

"I'm sorry you think that way, but I really must see him."

"He doesn't want to see you!" Sanji was a little taken back by Kuina's outburst and glanced around nervously, suddenly very aware of the other passengers. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing.

"Sorry for being impolite, but I would prefer to hear that from his own mouth."

"Don't you see you're making it harder for him?" Kuina was close to tears now, her eyes glistening. "If you really love him you'll stay away. His heart can't take it." Sanji could only stare as Kuina hurried away, disappearing up the stairs. No. He couldn't accept that. Something was wrong and he needed to hear it from the man himself.

+X+X+X+X+

Zoro paced the deck. He couldn't stay in his cabin; it'd be the first place Sanji would look. Besides, he was finding the expensive decoration suffocating. Never before had he hated his class as much as he did now and he didn't want to be reminded of it. He knew it would be dangerous to stay out in the open where Luffy and Sanji could easily find him, but he felt he couldn't breathe inside. He didn't want to talk to anyone anymore, he only wanted to sleep and forget his worries. So when he found himself watching a blonde cook walking towards him he could only run in the opposite direction. He was no match for the blonde's strong legs and found himself facing the man.

"What's the matter? What are you running for?" Zoro stared longingly at the other man before turning his sight away. If he looked into his eyes he'd surely break. Sanji noticed the hesitation. "Oi, moron, talk to me." Zoro squeezed his eyes shut and turned on his heels.

"I don't have anything to say to you." Sanji stared in wide eyed disbelief as Zoro walked away.

"W-What?" He stepped forward, his arms outstretched. "What are you talking about? What's the matter?" Zoro slowed his pace a little, tempted to look back, but shook his head. He had to do this. "Don't fucking ignore me!" Sanji shouted at the top of his lungs causing all surrounding passengers to stare at them. He could feel their stares and hear the whispers of disapproval of his vulgar language but didn't care. Zoro whipped his head around looking to the man in shock and another emotion Sanji couldn't quite place. He stepped forward and roughly grabbed the cooks arm pulling him along as he stomped across the deck angrily. He found the empty gym and pushed the blonde in, shutting the door behind him. Sanji panted, his face still red from his earlier outburst. He burned his eyes into Zoro's who wouldn't allow himself to look up.

"... We can't see each other anymore." Sanji's heart dropped to his feet and he could only stare at the other man.

"W-What do you mean?" Sanji spluttered out the words, inching towards Zoro. The swordsman pretended he didn't notice the others movements and turned his head away a little more, squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's exactly as I said. We're over."

"Over? How? What... Why? What's changed?" Zoro shuffled on his feet as the blonde moved a little closer.

"Come on, Sanji, it's not like we actually had any feelings for each other-"

"Who the hell said I didn't?" Sanji slammed his foot into the wall behind Zoro making a dent in the wood. Zoro held his composure and stared at the foot that so closely skimmed past his head. Sanji's words had hit him hard. So he did have feelings for him after all.

"Even if... you had feelings for me..." Zoro squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his back against the door, willing his voice not to shake. "I don't have any for you." He pulled his face to meet Sanji's and gave him a well practiced smile. "It was just a game." Sanji stilled. He couldn't even let his breath out. He felt trapped. Gin's previous words reverberated through his head. He shook his head quickly, squeezing his eyes shut. So Gin had been right?

"N-No... That's not... You- You kissed me!" Sanji pulled his leg from the wall and clutched the sides of Zoro's face, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Why would you do that? That's not a game, I don't believe it!" When Zoro didn't say anything, Sanji mashed his lips to the other man's, their teeth clacking painfully. Zoro grimaced and shrank into the kiss, taking it in with a moan. He drew his hands to the back of the other man's head, memorizing the soft touch of blonde hair before forcing the cook away, making the other man stumble back. He wiped his mouth and squeezed his eyes a little tighter, his tongue flicking out to wipe across his lips, trying to remember the taste.

"You can't tell me that that didn't mean anything to you." Sanji panted and wiped his mouth attempting to catch his breath. "You can't tell me you don't _feel_ anything!" Zoro shook his head and turned away, his back facing the cook.

"I didn't feel anything."

"You fucking _moaned!_" Sanji was marching forward again, his hand clutching the back of Zoro's jacket. Zoro shook his head.

"I told you I don't feel anything! Want me to fucking beat it into you?" Sanji cracked and threw his leg up, striking Zoro in the back. The swordsman stumbled forward before catching himself, still not looking back.

"Look at me." Sanji stepped forward again. "I said _look_ at me God dammit!" Zoro pulled his emotions together and turned to face Sanji head on, his face blank. Sanji's cheeks were a deep red and his eyes watery, but he refused to let his tears show. Zoro inwardly grimaced and tried to fight back the tingling in his own eyes.

"Sorry, but as of now, were through. I can't be with someone who is third class, let alone a man. It's simply unthinkable." Sanji's expression dropped and his shoulders slumped. Zoro studied the man as he stood silently contemplating the others words. His heart beat was rapid in his chest and he felt himself growing dizzy with its speed. He passed his breathing carefully as Sanji nodded his head slowly.

"I see. Well, if that's how it is, then." Sanji walked to Zoro and clasped his hands to the side of his face. Zoro flinched when Sanji leaned in and placed a soft kiss to his lips before biting down as hard as he could. He ripped the flesh from his bottom lip and gave him a swift slap across the face. He spit Zoro's blood to the floor and calmly walked past him, reaching for the door handle before hesitating.

"Seeing how you don't have any feelings, I thought I'd leave you a little reminder." He opened the door before calmly walking through it. Just before shutting the door he stopped and gave one more look back. "See you around. Mr. First Class." Zoro listened to the door quietly shut before collapsing to the floor. He felt the soft trickle of blood fall from his chin and wiped it away.

+X+X+X+X+

The rest of the day was somewhat of a blur for the two men. Sanji retreated to his cabin and refused to talk to anyone, no matter how hard Luffy tried to get a reaction from him. Zoro was unable to do such a thing, being forced to socialise as his mother's trophy son. Every now and then someone would ask about the unusual cut on his lip and Zoro would explain his embarrassing fall down the stairs with a laugh and a smile. Kuina stared at him in concern. He was putting on a smiling face, but something about it didn't look right at all. Dinner very much went the same course. Every so often someone would ask after the childish boy and handsome blonde they had met before. Zoro would only smile and shake his head saying he didn't know. It worried Kuina to no end. She had no idea Zoro had felt so strongly for Sanji that he's react in such a way. So when everyone had retreated to their cabins, Kuina found herself searching the lower decks for a certain monkey like boy.

"Kuina? What are you doing here?" Kuina gave the boy a nervous look while Luffy studied her face. "Ah, you're here to check on Sanji, right?" Kuina looked startled but nodded her head. Luffy could really see what was in people's hearts. "What happened? He's not acting like himself." Kuina gave a nervous glance before Luffy took her hand and lead her to their cabin. He creaked the door open so she could see the mass that was Sanji buried under his blankets. She shook her head and went about explaining the situation to Luffy. He nodded and took in all the information. Kuina paused.

"I just want them both to be happy. Who cares about anything else, but... Zoro's mother is..." Luffy held his hand up.

"I see how it is, but we can't do anything. Sanji's livelihood is at risk, so they need to be careful. But I think if we do it right, they can be together again. We just need a plan." Kuina nodded enthusiastically.

"Ok! What's the plan then?" Luffy scratched his chin as if deep in thought.

"Yes, I see... It is most certainly a mysterious plan..." Kuina took Luffy's arm in wonderment as he lead her to a more private area to discuss the mystery. Sanji sat up in his bed. He'd heard everything through the crack in the door. He silently wondered if Luffy had left the door open with that intent. In any case, he needed to see Zoro. If he was doing it just for him, he needed to tell him he'd be ok. He glanced at the clock. 21:50. Zoro would be in his room, wouldn't he? He quickly changed his clothes and sprinted down the corridor.

+X+X+X+X+X+

Zoro laid face down on his bed, his face hidden in the pillows. His tongue rolled over the cut on his lip tracing the deep imprint. Sanji's imprint. He licked at the wound once again, secure in the knowledge that it would scar. Far from being upset by that, he was glad for it. Now, no matter what, he wouldn't forget the other man. Despite how much it would hurt him, he wanted to remember no matter what. Zoro rolled on his back and traced his eyes across the ceiling. He wanted to sleep but felt too emotional. Whenever he closed his eyes all he could think of was the cook. The way his face had dropped. The sound of his voice as he left. It was all so painful. He didn't want to remember him like that. He sniffed loudly and sat up straight, stretching out his muscles. He knew it was pointless to wallow in self pity the way he was, but it was hard to get out of after the emotional day he'd had. He let out a harsh bark of laughter, without any humour in his voice. He raised his hand to scrub at his face. He was amazed to think that his morning had started with an uplifting, life affirming kiss, to him sitting at the end of his bed trying desperately to fight back the sting at the back of his eyes. He dropped his head, trailing his eyes across his room in an attempt to distract his thoughts. It proved pointless when he found his vision resting on a soft lump of wool poking from under his pillow. He hesitated before laying a hand under his pillow and tugging at the woollen jumper. He brought the wool to his face, burying his nose in the smell. This ritual had become something of an addiction for him. He supposed it was more like Sanji was the addiction, and right now he was going through withdrawals.

A knock at the door brought him out of his depression. He considered ordering the person away and drinking until he couldn't see right, but the prospect of a distraction was too great to miss. When he found himself opening the door, however, he couldn't form any words and babbled mindlessly at the blonde that stood before him. The man stared at him for a second, studying his face. It had only been a few hours since he'd last seen the man, but he looked terrible, like he'd not slept for days. Sanji drew in a nervous breath, frightened what he'd heard from Kuina had been wrong. He tried not to dwell on the thought before his face scrunched up and he uttered a single word.

"Hi." Zoro grabbed the man and pulled him inside, slamming the door behind him. They joined in a rough, needy kiss, Zoro forced his tongue into Sanji's mouth and they tasted each other greedily.

"Nn... Thought this... was over." Sanji panted and pressed his forehead to Zoro's, trying to catch his breath. Zoro growled and caught his mouth again.

"You think too much." Sanji laughed and allowed Zoro to lead him to his bedroom. They took slow steps, Sanji stripping from his jacket and dropping it to the floor, hoping Zoro would get the obvious sign that he wanted to do this. Zoro's face turned red and he trailed a series of kisses down the other man's neck and took his own coat off, throwing it across the room. Sanji let a wide smile stretch his lips as Zoro claimed them again. The swordsman wrapped an arm around Sanji's hip, pulling away from the door frame he almost walked into and lead him a little more carefully, their hips grinding together to earn a low moan from the cook. The two collapsed on the bed, only breaking their kisses to take shirt necessary breaths when it was too hard to breathe through their noses. Sanji moaned when Zoro's head started to travel downwards trailing kisses down his neck and along his collarbone. He shrugged out of his shirt as Zoro quickly popped the buttons, one or two ripping off to roll silently to the floor. Sanji giggled as Zoro left a wet trail down his stomach where his tongue slid across. Zoro raised his eyebrow at the blonde.

"Oi. You're not meant to be giggling y'know." He blew on the wet patches of Sanji's stomach earning more childish laughter.

"Stop doing stuff that- A-ah—Makes me laugh then!" Zoro smiled and moved back up to kiss him again. Their hips ground together and Sanji let out another low moan, wrapping his arms around the other man's neck. Zoro grunted and moved his head to place kisses on Sanji's earlobe before letting out a nervous whisper.

"I'm not completely sure what I'm doing here..." Sanji laughed lightly.

"Is that supposed to be your pillow talk?" Zoro blushed and gave Sanji a warning look. "Don't worry, I've never done it with a guy either." Zoro gave a nervous cough and turned his head away slightly.

"I don't mean... just with a guy." Sanji's eyes grew wide.

"You mean you're a virgin?" Zoro blushed and buried his head in the other man's chest. Sanji smiled and wrapped his arms around the green head.

"Don't worry about it, stupid. I think it's different. With both men I mean." Zoro nodded his head lightly. "You know what feels good, right? So what feels good for you should feel good for me." The swordsman blushed and looked up at Sanji when he felt him rub Zoro's crotch with his knee. He lifted himself up on his arms and stared down at the blonde who stared back giving him a sultry look. He nodded his head and removed his own shirt, returning his attention to the pale body beneath him. He unhooked the button of the blonde's trousers and went about sliding them off leaving them to pool at the bottom of the bed. He blushed slightly when he noticed the bulge the blonde adorned. Sanji purred and shot Zoro another look. He let his head roll back and Zoro caught an eyeful of a long, pale, beautiful neck and leant forward to kiss it. Sanji let out a low hum.

"Hey," said the blonde in a near whisper.

"Hmm?" Sanji drew his head back up to face the other man.

"How do you feel about me?" Zoro froze in his movements. He knew he should have been pushing the other man away, but he really couldn't. He was way too far in. So when he leant forward and whispered into the other mans ear, Sanji's eyes grew wide and he found himself in another rough kiss. They stopped for a moment and Sanji panted out;

"I do too." Zoro flashed another smile before pulling his own trousers down. What they were doing was very risky. If his mother was to find out he'd truly be in allot of trouble. In fact, he had no idea if what they were doing was even _legal, _but he highly doubted it was. He'd often heard rumours about such couples, and none of the stories ever landed on a happy note. It was quite possible he and Sanji would never have the fairy tale ending he so rightly desired. If they went about the situation in the wrong way, he could very well end up dead. Not just him, but Sanji too. But right now all that mattered was their pure desire for each other. They would deal with the rest in the morning. Zoro hooked his fingers over the top of Sanji's underwear, trailing kisses along the line. Sanji panted and patted the top of his head for him to continue. Zoro nodded and slowly pealed the garment off leaving Sanji completely exposed. He shivered when cold air his erection, giving Zoro another pleading gaze. Zoro grinned at the slightly older man beneath him and nodded, pressing their cocks together and rubbing them softly. Sanji shivered again and wrapped his arms around the other man planting another needy kiss to his lips.

"Nn-! Zoro... Zoro, let's get off the ship together." Zoro smiled and gave the man another kiss, pumping his hands a little faster. "You can- ngh!—stay with me... in my cabin... until we land... Ah! And we'll travel together and- uhn—do _this_ every night." Zoro let out a laugh and looked at what he was doing.

"What about _this_?" Sanji gave him a look of confusion, his eyes widening when he saw his head disappear into Zoro's mouth. He cursed and threw his head back gripping at the pillow he rested on. He flinched when he felt Zoro's head bobbing up and down, stopping occasionally to flick his tongue across the tip before carrying on.

"H-How are you... s-so good at this when you're a virgin?" Zoro grinned when the blonde bucked forward, gripping the others hair. "Ah! Woah! Stop, hold on! I'm g-gunna... ngh..." Zoro pressed his mouth to Sanji's head, sucking in the taste greedily. Sanji let his body fall back, wearily panting for air. Zoro licked white from his lips and smiled up at the blonde.

"I'm just great at everything." Sanji blushed deeply and pushed the other man over. Not one to be outdone, he moved down the man's body to repeat the actions he'd just received. He smiled with satisfaction when he looked up to the other man, studying his blushing face. He slid his tongue down a little deeper and let out a low hum. Zoro bucked up, his cock going in a little deeper. Sanji grimaced, gagging very slightly, but returned to his previous actions, deep in the resolve of making the man beneath him squirm under his touches. He moved his head up, a disappointed cry falling from Zoro's lips. Sanji let a seductive smile grace his lips, earning a deep blush from the man beneath him, his hips bucking unconsciously. Sanji held his hips down before touching the tip of Zoro's cock with his tongue. He held it there for a moment, keeping his eyes on Zoro's, before dipping his head and picking up where he'd left off before. Zoro threw his head back and trailed his fingers through blonde hair, trying desperately to keep his heart beat steady and breathe even. Such a task was easier said than done when he heard the cook humming above his hips, the vibration sending waves of pleasure up and down his body. He couldn't help the tremble in his legs when he looked down, committing the scene before him to memory. Sanji tried not to grin when he heard the moaning man beneath him; such a sweet sound was like music to his ears. He raised his hands to glide along Zoro's torso, feeling every muscle, to brush gently across pink nipples, occasionally tightening his grip to a soft pinch, earning another loud moan of pleasure. It wasn't long until Zoro grunted and allowed himself to ejaculate in Sanji's warm mouth. He panted, blinking several times when he saw flashes across his vision. He silently wondered why the hell he hadn't done something like this before and pulled the man to lie on top of him, both sweaty and exhausted.

"D-Do you want to go... all the way?" Sanji breathed out the question, a little nervous. Judging from their sizes, Sanji would be the receiver, and though he'd never experienced it first hand, he'd heard plenty of rumours that were more than enough to initially throw him off the idea completely. That was, of course, until he'd met a certain green haired man. Zoro shook his head.

"Not tonight. Too tired. Sleep now. Fuck later." Sanji grinned at the wording and leaned into the man.

"Why are you so tired, moss ball?" Sanji asked, stretching his body to fit perfectly on top of Zoro's. The swordsman stiffened slightly before letting out a sigh. He brought one hand to rest on the small of Sanji's back, while the other went to the back of his own head.

"I've been... Sorta stressed out, I guess." Sanji studied his face carefully. He blushed and turned his head away. "I was thinking about _you_ too much." Sanji gave the man an apologetic look and rested his head on the back of his hands that he'd spread out across the swordsman's chest.

"Yeah... I heard from Kuina about... that... thanks." Zoro's eyes shot open and he stared at Sanji, a little confused.

"Kuina? She told you... You know about my mother? The situation?" Sanji nodded his head slowly, his face breaking into a soft smile.

"She didn't... _tell_ me exactly. More like I overheard something." He let out a little chuckle and ruffled his hair. "We should keep a closer eye on that Luffy guy; he might be a little sneakier than we'd like to think." Zoro let out a nervous laugh and stared at Sanji once again. He raised his hand to drift through blonde hair. He watched with satisfaction when the cook's face reddened.

"I'm really sorry about all that," said Zoro, a soft frown gracing his face. "I don't really know what will happen from here on, but..." Sanji pressed his fingers to Zoro's lips, silencing him at once. He let a grin grace his lips as he sat up straight, effectively straddling the other man who could do nothing but feel most of his blood rush to his face. The rest of his blood quickly rushed elsewhere when he looked up to see Sanji's slender body hovering above him.

"I gave as good as I got," smiled Sanji. A small amount of remorse hit his senses when his fingers traced the indent of a deep cut to his lovers lip. It was surely a cut that would leave a permanent scar. Zoro understood his actions straight away, raising his hand to meet the other man's. He slowly kissed each of the fingers and drew in a deep breath. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared himself for what he was about to say.

"If you think you'd be happier," he trailed off, choosing his words carefully and reluctantly. "If you think you'd be happier without me holding you back, feel free to leave me behind any time you want." Zoro stared at Sanji seriously. The cook stared back before cracking up in laughter, his body grinding slightly against Zoro's hip, earning a soft moan.

"Are you a moron or what? I came here knowing full well what could happen, and you're still questioning yourself? That woman can't touch us at all. In fact..." Sanji leant forward and breathed into Zoro's ear. "How about we completely seal the deal?" He let out a low, seductive moan and slid his tongue across Zoro's three earrings. "Wanna fuck?" Zoro's eyes shot open and his hips bucked forward without his consent. Sanji let out a loud laugh and moved his head back, letting his tongue slide almost excruciatingly slow across his lips. Zoro lead back and watched the scene appreciatively, swallowing in an attempt to moisten his dry mouth.

When Sanji leant forward to lay his mouth on the others chest, licking at tan skin appreciatively, the two were torn from their blissful scene when a load scratching noise reverberated through the night sky and pushed its way into Zoro's cabin through an open window by his bed, the ship shuddering violently. Zoro shot up, looking around, Sanji falling against his chest.

"Earthquake?" Sanji couldn't help rolling his eyes. He stood quickly, catching a lamp that threatened to smash on the ground.

"We're on a boat, dumbass." Grabbing his trousers, he couldn't help but wonder how on earth he'd managed to not only fall for a man, but fall for a moronic green haired man with a hopeless sense of direction, so bad he even forgot he was on a ship, where an earthquake could never reach him. He dusted off his neglected trousers and pulled them on, walking to stand on the balcony. He looked down to see the long nosed watchman running around in circles wildly. "Oi, what's going on?" Zoro soon followed him to the balcony, adorned in underwear he'd pulled on hastily. Sanji glanced at him and mentally sighed when he noticed the man had put them on back to front. Zoro was silent while he watched a black formation slide past the ship, his breath spilling from his lips in short, nervous bursts. He wrapped an arm around Sanji's waist as he watched it pass. The curly haired watchman looked up at the two, fear etched across his face.

"I-Iceburg..."


	5. The Day the Titanic Sank

Sanji and Zoro ran down the corridor out to the cold deck. They shivered as the cold air made contact with their skin. In their haste they had neglected to dress properly, and it was painfully obvious the two had each partaken in some bedroom activity; their hair messy and their bodies soaked with quick drying sweat. Sanji hastily went about re-doing the buttons of his shirt when he realised he'd missed a few, others done up in the wrong place. He cursed under his breath and tested his body odour when a passing woman had crinkled her nose at him. Zoro, however, couldn't care less. Despite the odd sense of foreboding danger he could feel hanging over his head, he still felt somewhat calm. Inside, he was in complete bliss, the after sex- if that was what they had done before was considered sex, he didn't know- glow was still misty in his mind. When Sanji had moved to dress and go outside, he'd only followed the man with no perception of his own. Glancing around the deck, they watched children playing football with a fallen chunk of ice. Sanji ran to the side of the boat, peering over the railing. Zoro stood behind him, an arm of each of the cook's sides, supporting his back with a strong chest. The watchman from earlier, Usopp, slinked up and pointed a finger to the sea.

"I-It hit the ship. Tore right through it. You felt the tremors, right?" Sanji stared at Usopp and nodded his head, patting the man's shoulder. Zoro let out a slightly shaky breath, his glow from earlier beginning to fade with Usopp's words. He allowed his forehead to drop on Sanji's shoulder, contemplating the outcome of the situation carefully. Finally, he sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep his voice its usual calm and steady self.

"...Will it sink?" Sanji stared at the disappearing form of what he now recognised as the iceberg and contemplated the question before nodding his head, slowly. Zoro shook his own in disbelief.

"Impossible. This is the unsinkable ship!" Sanji gave him an unsure look and leaned back into the man's chest, closing his eyes. He let his head lay back against Zoro's collar bone.

"Zoro... I'm getting a bad feeling." Zoro looked into the ocean in concern. He moved his head so it gently leant against blonde hair.

"Me too..."

"I-I'll ask the captain! He'll know what's happening." Usopp patted their shoulders and motioned for them to wait. Zoro watched the man disappear and turned his attention back to Sanji, resting his chin on the blondes shoulder. Sanji twisted his body to look over the swordsman's shoulder at the men regarding them with distaste. He promptly flipped them off without thinking and hugged Zoro a little tighter. Something defiantly felt weird. A horrible feeling of danger hung over the man's head and he was sure that tonight the Titanic would sink. He watched Usopp run towards them, terror stricken across his face in a deep frown. He tapped Zoro on the shoulder and he turned around to face the smaller watchman. His knees trembled as he looked at the two.

"W-Women and children first..." The two men stared at Usopp expectantly as he stumbled over his words, confusion evident on their faces. "E-Everyone is to get in the lifeboats... The Titanic is sinking."

+X+X+X+X+

Zoro ran down the hallways, gripping Sanji's hand and pulling him along. A passing maid handed them a pair of life jackets and Zoro stuffed one over Sanji's head before securing his own. He told the maid to hurry up above deck and continued his run down the corridor. He stood in front of Kuina's door and banged his fist on it loudly.

"Zoro, forget the formalities, the ship is fucking sinking." Sanji took a step backwards and launched a kick to the door leaving it in splinters. The two bounded in, Sanji shooting a 'fuck you' to a passing butler who complained about the damages. Zoro searched the room before coming back to Sanji with a defeated look on his face. They filed out of the room and travelled to another door near the end. This time Zoro shouldered the door and barged right into the room. His mother sat inside, staring at him in shock.

"Zoro? What do you think you're doing?" She turned her attention to Sanji, narrowing her eyes at the intertwined hands. "Are you going against my wishes?" Zoro growled and held up Sanji's hand.

"I'm staying with him. We're getting off the ship together." Lillian stared at him in shock.

"You'll do no such thing!" Lillian rose from her seat, red in the face. Her sewing fell from her lap and her maid rushed to her side, placing her hand on her shoulder. The maid glanced nervously between Zoro and his mother. Zoro took a second to look carefully at the maid before he drew Sanji's hand towards his mouth and planted a soft kiss on it. Sanji blushed deeply and let out a small, embarrassed moan when the swordsman trailed a slow tongue across his knuckles. Zoro paused in his actions and drew his eyes up to meet Lillian's.

"Sorry, mother. That's just the way it is." Lillian drew an unsteady foot forward and inched a little closer to her son. Her maid panicked and took her trembling hand, trying to steady her movements and calm her down a little. Zoro had never disobeyed her before. She stared at the blonde man at his side and wondered what he'd done to her son to make him act this way. She should have squashed the man from the start. With her eyes still on the cook, she took another angry, more stable step towards the couple. Zoro raised his free hand, drawing her attention. Sanji silently thanked him, having been totally uncomfortable with the way Lillian had been glaring at him. "The Titanic is sinking." Lillian froze in her tracks. She allowed Zoro's words to repeat in her mind, carefully sounding out each syllable to better understand them. Was it another trick from that _evil_ blonde? Was this how he went about tricking her beloved son?

"Impossible. The Titanic is unsinkable."

"You felt the tremors before, didn't you?" Zoro questioned. Lillian looked at the floor, considering her son's words. "We hit an iceberg." She drew her eyes up to her son.

"I-It's fine. The captain will know what to do, we'll just get on the lifeboats and-"

"There aren't enough lifeboats to save everyone." Zoro turned his attention back to Sanji, squeezing his hand. "There are more than two thousand people on board. Half of us will die and they're saving women and children first." A look of fear crossed Sanji's face and he looked down thinking through the possibilities. Lillian snatched Zoro's hand from Sanji's and stared at her son.

"We need to get out of here. You'll be ok, we'll get you on a lifeboat and it will be fine." Zoro shook his head and turned to the door.

"You have more priority than me. Go to the top deck. We'll meet you there, I need to find Kuina."

"I need to find Luffy and Gin too," added Sanji. Zoro nodded his head and took the man's hand again, turning for the hallway. Lillian threw her arm out to catch Zoro before he could leave. He turned back to her and allowed her to drag him back into her cabin. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Zoro, what do you think you're doing with that man?" She tightened her grip around her son's shirt and her hands tightened into pale, white fists. Zoro looked up at the ceiling and frowned. Sanji stood in the door way awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He'd never really known his real parents, so perhaps it was different to what he thought, but he understood Zoro's need to explain the situation to his mother carefully. It was a risky move to give them some space, Lillian could just as easily convince Zoro not to leave with him, but it was something he'd have to do. This could be Zoro's only chance to say goodbye to the one who raised him his whole life, after all. He squeezed Zoro's hand and let go to disappear into the hall way. Zoro watched him go, understanding the cooks actions, before returning his attention to his mother, gently pushing her away by her shoulders.

"Sorry," he said, slowly. "Even if you can't accept it... I can't... I can't be without him anymore." Lillian's eyes grew wide and she threw her fist against Zoro's muscled chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and allowed his mothers actions to continue. He glanced over to the maid who had cupped her hands over her mouth in shock. There was no helping it now. Even with how tight lipped he knew the maid was, he would no longer be able to hide his feelings for the cook, they were too obviously etched into his heart. No matter what he did, as long as he continued to stay in the world his mother had made for him, he'd forever be known as the man who was in love with another man. He turned his attention back to his mother and dropped his head to look down at the short woman. "Sanji and I lo-"

"Don't say it!" Lillian raised her angry face to growl at Zoro's. "It's not too late, don't say it out loud. We can fix this!" Zoro let out a small laugh that touched his eyes and grinned, shaking his head.

"No, it's too late. Sorry." Lillian growled again.

"What about Kuina?" She shouted, her face turning red. Zoro frowned and furrowed his brows. He hadn't really thought about that, too enthralled in his own mysterious feelings. He loved the woman very much, far more than words could describe. He loved everything about her, the way she thought the same way he did, but spoke out as often she could. The way they were in the exact same social position, but handled it with so much more patience and grace that he ever could, and he even loved the way she loved him, accepting all his flaws with a smile, encouraging him with everything he could ever dream of. If he could only love one woman in his whole lifetime, it would no doubt only be her. But despite all that, he couldn't help but only think of her as a sister. He shook his head slowly. He had far too much respect for her to just lie to her face anymore than he already had. Above all else he wanted her to be happy.

"I love her too much to make her suffer a loveless marriage. She would never be happy with me."

"She wants to marry you! Be with you! You can make her happy!" Zoro shook his head furiously and couldn't help shouting at his mother.

"I can't make her happy!" The maid ran to Lillian's side, pulling her back by her shoulders, a little frightened by Zoro's outburst. Zoro shrank into himself a little and let out a couple nervous pants. He hated the way he'd frightened the maid, she had nothing to do with it and she didn't deserve it, but he needed to make this clear. The only way he would get off the Titanic was with a cook in his arms. As if on cue, said cook peaked his head around the doorframe to take a nervous look inside the room. When he was sure Zoro wasn't smashing up the room, he hurried to Lillian and her maid, holding out a pair of lifebelts. Lillian looked at him incredulously. He cleared his throat and looked to Zoro nervously before pulling his attention back to the women.

"Ah, uh, sorry it took so long, seems everyone's running around so much, people aren't bothering with the lifebelts, but I managed to find a maid handing some out." He stretched his arms a little more and Lillian stepped back, surprised by the gesture. Anger flashed across her face and she swung her hand at the man, slapping his face with a loud, satisfying crack. Zoro stepped forward and ran a hand over Sanji's red face. Flinching slightly at the faint sting the touch held, Sanji shook his head for Zoro to stop and continued to hold the lifebelts out. Lillian trembled when the cook turned a smile to her and offered the lifebelts once again.

"Miss, it's dangerous on the ship right now, I'd feel allot better knowing you were wearing one of these. I'm sure you'd like for your dear maid to be safe also." Her hand trembled again when Sanji turned a smile to her once again; the outlines of a dainty hand across his face turning an angry red. Lillian had really hoped Sanji would, in fact, be an evil man. Had he been that way, she could easily have pulled her son away. But towards the man standing before her, the charming man before her, she had no hope at all. Of course, it could only be him. It had to be _him_. She dropped her head and covered her face with her hands. After a silent moment she raised her head to look at the two men whose hands were once again intertwined. She studied the way they stood together, a little bit closer than one would normally stand with another. Saying that they looked good together would be an understatement. Broad muscle contrasted with a slender figure. Blonde with green. She had to hold in the defeated sigh she could feel creeping up her throat. There was really nothing she could do to fight these two, and she had known that as soon as she saw them walk hand in hand into her cabin. Finally, she turned away from the two.

"I'll have nothing to do with you from now on." She turned an evil eye to glare at her son. "I do not have a son." Zoro stared at her, his face unreadable, before he let his head drop, closing his eyes.

"I understand." Sanji's eye widened, flicking between the two. He couldn't help think that this was all his fault, and in a way, it was. If he hadn't gone after Luffy that first night, if he hadn't interrupted Zoro's dancing to force him into a fight, if he hadn't have returned to Zoro's cabin that very night... Sanji could only feel that all of this was his fault. As if reading his mind, Zoro gave his hand a squeeze and looked into his blue eye. He lent forward and gave his lips a soft kiss. Sanji unconsciously closed his eyes and sank into the gentle touch. Lillian craned her neck around when she hadn't heard her son obediently leaving as soon as the words had left her lips. She had been surprised to see the tender actions of her son, who had never been so close to anyone enough to even let them _touch_ him when it wasn't necessary, but watched on, her face unchanging. The maid couldn't help the small gasp that left her lips, her face turning a deep shade of red before dropping her hands to the side and attempting to view the scene with nonchalance. It was not her job to butt in to other people's business after all, even if the business was as shocking as this. Zoro stared into Sanji's eye before turning to the door, not once looking back to his mother. Sanji whipped his head around before turning to the maid. He handed her the two lifejackets before jogging after Zoro, grasping his hand. When the two had disappeared through the splintered wood that had formally been her door, Lillian sank to sit in her chair. The maid rested beside her on her knees, grasping her hand in an attempt to calm her down. Lillian raised her hand to her mouth when she let out a small sob. Her body leant forward towards her knees when she finally allowed tears to freely stream down her face for her only son. Everything she'd done up until that point was for Zoro, her precious son. She'd tried everything to assure him with a good life, one that would be full of riches and a wonderful family life. But despite her best efforts, deep down she knew her son was different, not like all the other rich boys. In fact, she knew he'd often regard the other boys with distain. Lillian felt in her heart that Zoro was just waiting for something to take him away. That something, she realised, had been a tall, blonde cook with impossibly long legs and a ridiculous curled eyebrow. The person he'd just walked away from her with, hand in hand, the biggest and most sincere smile she'd ever seen gracing his lips. She prayed to God he'd be okay as her maid slowly pulled her to her feet and attempted to lead her to the life boats above.

+X+X+X+X+X+X+

Sanji and Zoro squeezed through the rushing crowd of first class passengers, their hands still intertwined. They ran down the corridors to the lifts and pulled back the metal grating. Stepping inside, Sanji leant against the wall and panted while Zoro pulled at the controls. He stared at the other man, trying to control his breathing. After a while, he stepped forward and pulled at the controls himself, stopping the elevator completely. Zoro turned his head in question, coming face to face with a worried looking blonde.

"You okay?" Sanji stared at him seriously. Zoro thought over the words, finally breaking out into a small grin.

"I am," he replied, pushing the blonde back into the wall. "I've never been better than this." He leant forward to place a soft kiss to the other mans lips. Sanji allowed his hands to wander across Zoro's back, pulling him into an embrace.

"You sure this is what you want?" Zoro snorted, returning Sanji's hug a little more forcefully, squeezing him tightly. Sanji let out a yelp of protest as Zoro ruffled Sanji's hair a little too roughly.

"Dumbass." Sanji growled and pushed Zoro away.

"I was just trying to be fucking nice, you damn asshole!"

"Yeah? Well don't, it doesn't suit you." Sanji let out an angry snort and mumbled something under his breath about always being nice. Zoro laughed loudly when he felt the blondes fingers wrap around his own. He scratched his nose and turned to pull on the leavers of the elevator, jogging it back to life. Silence greeted them again as they led back against the wall; their hands clasped together, Zoro gently leaning his head on the other man's shoulder.

"Where do we start? They could be anywhere." Zoro instantly understood the question, thinking of their missing friends. He racked his brain, squeezing Sanji's hand as they watched the floors move past inside the elevator.

"Kuina... Would she have gone to find Luffy?" Sanji looked up at his lover and nodded his head.

"She knew about... Our situation. She came to our cabin and explained everything to Luffy... That's why I came to see you." Zoro stiffened a little at the mention of their earlier fight. Sanji let out a dry laugh. "I knew you were lying." Zoro breathed a heavy sigh and pulled Sanji towards him into a hug. "... You scared?" Zoro shook his head.

"No. Not really. I'm not afraid to die." He pushed the man away to stare into his eyes. "I'm scared for _you_. I want you to be ok." Sanji nodded and traced a finger over the scar he'd left on the man's lip.

"We'll be fine." He gave a weak smile and waited for the familiar ping of the elevator to stop. When they stopped moving and had ripped open the metal grating, Zoro grimaced at the slow rising water pooling at the end of the hallway. He glanced at Sanji, who had a horrified look on his face, before turning to stare at the water again, contemplating the serious situation.

"T-The men in the boiler rooms..." Sanji's face went pale as he uttered the words. Zoro shot his head to the side to look at Sanji. His eyes were bloodshot and he stared at the rising water, a hand over his mouth. "I knew... I met some of them. They were good guys..." Zoro turned on his heels and pulled the man along with him.

"...There's nothing you can do. When we get out of here we'll honour them ourselves." Sanji nodded and allowed himself to be dragged along. They pushed through a crowd of people until they reached the bar they had both frequented. Memories flashed before the swordsman as he peered inside. He had hoped they'd be able to spend more time like they had in that bar. Not just him and Sanji, but everyone else too. He thought back to everyone he wanted to talk with again. Kaku, Brook, Paulie, Franky, even the overly flirtatious Porche would be happily welcomed. With that in mind, he roughly pushed open the doors to see Luffy and Kuina sat at one of the tables; Luffy perched on top of it, reassuring a frightened Kuina. Sanji ran forward shouting after the two for their attention.

"Sanji! Zoro!" Luffy jumped to Zoro's chest, wrapping his arms and legs around him.

"Luffy's afraid of water," explained Sanji. Zoro nodded his head and held the boy up. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you above deck?" Kuina wiped her face and looked up at Sanji.

"We went to your cabin room to get you right after the tremor but you weren't there. We thought you'd come here because you were so sad, so we waited..." Zoro nodded his head. If they'd gone straight after the tremor, then they would have missed them when they went outside to talk to Usopp. Sanji took Luffy from him and let him rest on his back as Zoro took Kuina's hand, pulling her to her feet. He gave an annoyed glance to Luffy's arm that was still wrapped around his chest before returning all his attention to the girl before him.

"Sorry about this." Zoro mumbled out an apology before ripping Kuina's dress making it easier to move in. He removed her high heels and threw them across the room before taking her hand and looking back to Sanji with a nod. He pulled off the lifebelt Luffy was clinging too with great difficulty, before stuffing it over Kuina's head. He did the straps up tightly while the young woman complained at him for being so rough and not looking out for himself more. He shook his head and told her to stop complaining. Her life was far more important than his and he refused to see the woman in any kind of danger. When Kuina had stopped her relentless complaining, he took her hand once again and the group ran out of the room. They ran in the direction of the elevators, hoping to have a quick escape to the deck above, but were forced to stop when they saw the steadily creeping water. Luffy, jumped from Sanji's back to Zoro's, shifting himself uncomfortably, pulling himself up to sit on Zoro's shoulders. Zoro grunted and adjusted the boy's legs so they didn't strangle him before turning a look to the cook.

"We might still be able to use the lift."

"No," replied Sanji. "It's too risky. Even if it wasn't completely full of water, it could get stuck on the way up, or the bars could jam... We'd basically be trapped in a box, waiting to drown." Zoro nodded slowly, feeling Luffy's grip tighten a little. So he was really that afraid of water? Sanji took a moment to think as they watched the slow moving water approach them. He nodded when he'd thought over their positioning and led the green haired man to a jog in the opposite direction. They eventually reached a crowd of people stuck in the corridor behind a white metal gate.

"What's going on?" Kuina looked around the crowd, a terrified expression on her face while people pushed her around trying to reach the top.

"They fucking locked the gates!" Sanji turned to Zoro, his mouth dropping. Zoro growled and pushed forward.

"Shit. If I just had my swords..." Luffy jumped from Zoro's back and grabbed the gate rattling it in frustration. A familiar woman spotted the straw hated boy and rushed to wrap slender arms around his neck. Luffy let out an annoyed yelp and turned to face a crying Porche. He patted her back, comfortingly. Sanji rushed forward and laid a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Porche! Have you seen Gin? Where's everyone else?" The woman shook her head and sobbed.

"I don't know. I think Brook was playing in first class today, so he might be okay... I saw Kaku before, but he left a long time ago, I only saw him for a second from far away, so I don't even know which direction he went, but he'd been calling for me... I think he went to find out what was going on, but I haven't seen him since..." Sanji nodded his head and looked around again, scanning the pulsing crowd.

"And Gin? Do you know where he is?" Porche strained her face, trying to draw her thoughts together, before shaking her head in defeat.

"I-I don't know. I haven't seen him all night." Tears streamed down her face and Sanji nodded, allowing her to shift her arms from Luffy to drape around the cooks waist. Zoro shot her a slightly annoyed look, but drew his thoughts together just as quickly. This was certainly not the time to be getting jealous over such petty things. He pulled the cook towards him with his free hand and snaked an arm around his waist, pressing his chest against his back as the crown surged around them. Sanji couldn't help the small smirk that graced his lips when he thought of the territorial actions of the other man. With Porche gone from around his neck, Luffy returned to looking at the metal bars in disgust.

"How can they just lock us down here?" He stared at the guard that stood on the other side with anger. He stretched his arm between the bars and reached for the men who were just barely able to dodge out of the way, shouting for the passengers to calm down. He let out a growl of frustration before pointing to the gates with his thumb and turning to Sanji. "Break it down." Sanji nodded his head and slipped his hands into his pockets. Luffy went about clearing some room, Porche hanging from his arm, as Zoro and Kuina looked on in confusion. When everyone was clear, Sanji lifted his leg and lunged forward, kicking the gate with his right leg. The gate busted clean from its hinges, harsh dents crossing the metal and people immediately started rushing out of the corridor. Sanji shot a cocky grin to Zoro who smiled back before taking his hand and beginning to run down the corridor. Luffy chased after them, clutching Kuina's other hand to help her keep up with the fast men, Porche from his other hand. She kicked the metal bars of the fence Sanji had kicked down, earning loud grunts from the men trapped behind it. She smiled with satisfaction as she picked up her pace.

When they reached the top deck, Zoro franticly searched the area for his mother. He was well aware that she'd decided to completely abandon him as her son, but that didn't mean he'd be able to forget about her so easily. She was his mother after all, and had raised him from birth. Despite how much he could hate the woman sometimes, he also loved her just as much. While he dragged his friends along the deck, he noticed the familiar hair of his mother, and the dainty maid she always had by her side. When he realised Kuina had spotted her also, he allowed her to drag the group towards Lillian, calling out her name. Lillian whipped her head around franticly trying to locate the voice. When she saw the group approaching her, she dropped her maid's hand and ran straight for Kuina, who did the same in return. Sanji slinked to Zoro's side and tenderly slid his hand in Zoro's own. He felt the trembling soften as he rubbed small circles into the back of his lover's hand. Zoro smiled down at Sanji and turned his head towards Kuina and his mother. Lillian clutched at Kuina's shoulders and cried into her collarbone, looking at the mass of people in fear. Zoro stepped forward and placed a hand to Kuina's shoulder. Lillian stared at him with tear soaked eyes, her maid nervously shuffling on her feet. Porche looked on, a little confused, before moving to Kuina and Lillian, taking her hand cautiously. Kuina studied the way Lillian turned her sight away from Sanji and Zoro. She furrowed her brow and took Zoro's hand, carefully pulling him towards herself for a little more privacy.

"Does she know?"

"... She does." Kuina nodded her head, looking away.

"And?"

"She gave me a choice..." Zoro hesitated, "You and her... or the cook." Kuina's heart stilled at the words.

"And... Your answer?" She squeezed her eyes shut when Zoro didn't reply right away. She knew that this had been coming from the moment she'd seen the two together, but that didn't make it any less painful.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Zoro. Kuina couldn't help the strained smile that had graced her lips. This was ridiculous, Zoro shouldn't be apologising to her—it wasn't his fault at all. She had just been born in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong gender. She let out a deep sob and stumbled a little. Zoro shot his hands out to grasp her shoulders, steadying her. She trailed her hands to stop at his elbows, grasping them tightly. She pulled her heavy head up to stare at him. She knew she must have looked a mess to him, her face scrunched up, and tears spilling down her cheeks. Not very lady like at all, but right now she couldn't care less. She desperately had to let her feelings be known before it was too late. With that in mind, she grasped his arms a little tighter and shouted up at him, earning the attention of the rest of their group along with other passengers.

"I- I love you! Zoro, I love you!" She dropped her head and leant into the man, resting her head in his chest. "Zoro..." Zoro leant his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. Sanji and Luffy stared at the two, watching in silence as Kuina let out loud sobs. Porche had raised her hands and was mumbling softly under her breath for Kuina to calm down. She, like most of the other passengers around them, had assumed Kuina's tears were because she didn't want to leave her loved ones behind in favour of the lifeboats. Lillian and her maid were facing away from the two, their backs to them in disapproval. Kuina ignored everyone, focussing on the man before her. She had wrapped her arms around his waist and was stifling her heavy sobs. She loved Zoro so much; she didn't want to let him go! She wanted to stay by his side forever, have children with him, and tell him how she felt every day. But despite all her complicated feelings, she was happy for him. She knew for him there was no one else more suited than Sanji. For that reason, she didn't regret their trip on the Titanic one bit. When her crying had finally ceased, she stood still, her arms still wrapped around Zoro's waist. She rested her cheek against his chest, silently watching the red streak of smoke from a flair that had just been shot into the sky. When he was sure she wouldn't start crying again, Zoro allowed his arms to snake around the girls shoulders, holding her tightly. Kuina turned her eyes to look at Sanji, who stood awkwardly shuffling on his feet, unable to look her in the eyes. She inwardly smiled, thinking how sweet it was that Sanji was acting so insecure over a little hug. Yeah, it really could have only been him. Finally, Kuina pulled away, giving Zoro a small smile. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked towards Sanji.

"Kuina, I..." She raised her hand, and he stopped talking instantly.

"Sorry about that, but... I felt I had to say it no matter what." Zoro hesitated before nodding his head. Kuina sighed and motioned for Sanji to come forward. Sanji looked for Zoro's approval before complying and stepping up to Kuina. Kuina studied his appearance carefully, trailing her fingers through his hair and examining him vigilantly. After a while, she nodded her head and stepped back. "Well, I guess if you were gunna turn homo, I'm glad it was with someone good looking. I'd be offended if they weren't." Both Sanji and Zoro's mouths dropped to the floor and Luffy laughed loudly behind them.

"H-Homo?" Porche cried out, leaning on Luffy's back for support. Zoro and Sanji each blushed deeply, looking everywhere but Kuina. The girl just smiled innocently. Her face grew serious, taking the boys' right hands.

"Zoro, I do love you," mumbled the girl. "I'll probably never love someone as much as I do you, but..." She carefully laced their fingers together, patting the top of Zoro's hand and the bottom of Sanji's. "I'm glad you can be happy." The three stared at each other, forgetting about everything around them. Finally, Zoro closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly. Kuina allowed her smile to sneak back on her face and giggled at how flustered Sanji had become. Yes, she was sure they could be happy now. Zoro looked around at the crowds of people. Sanji took the opportunity to place a kiss to Kuina's forehead in thanks. He felt tremendously sorry for being the reason the girl was upset, but couldn't help the need to be just a little bit selfish this once.

"We need to get you to a lifeboat," said Zoro, straining his neck to look around the deck. He spotted a slow moving crowd of people and led Kuina towards it. She allowed Zoro to pull her to a boat where Nami, Robin and the watchman Usopp sat. He lifted Kuina into the boat and turned to his mother. He held out his hand and she stared at it, as if it might bite her. Finally, she took it and allowed Zoro to lift her into the boat earning weary looks from the guards. He nodded to them and pulled Sanji and Luffy forward. He lifted Luffy to place him in the boat, pushing his straw hat over his eyes when he tried to complain. He glanced at Porche who nodded her head and wrapped her arms tightly around Luffy's neck. He turned once again to place a hand on either side of Sanji's waist. He stared at the confused man for a moment before lifting him from the floor and placing him safely in the boat as it began to fill up. Sanji stood up and grabbed the man when he turned away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, get in here!" Zoro shot Sanji a smile and shook his head.

"Women and children first, right? Plus I forgot my swords, can't leave them behind." Zoro smiled at the other man and ran his fingers through golden hair.

"What are you talking about?" Shouted Lillian. "There's enough room, so just sit here!" Lillian snatched Zoro's arm from Sanji and pushed the blonde to the side, knocking him to the ground. Zoro raked his eyes over Sanji, who stared up at him in shock. Zoro's eyes lingered on the blonde, not once moving from him. He felt a guard slink to his side and he pulled his sight away from his lover to look at the stern faced man.

"The blonde man, he's only 19, please let him stay on the lifeboat. The straw hated boy, he's a child too, if you couldn't already tell." The guard glanced to the blonde, who could only stare at Zoro in disbelief. The guard rested his eyes to study Zoro's earnest and pleading face. He contemplated the situation for a moment and finally nodded. Zoro let out a sigh of relief and turned back to his hysterical mother. "Half the people on this ship will die. I'd be happy to give my life for someone else." He turned back to Sanji and leaned forward, giving the man a soft kiss. He turned his attention to the straw hated boy, who stood at once.

"No way! You're not doing this!" Zoro stared at him with serious eyes. "You're... I won't let you do this alone." Luffy placed a foot to the side of the boat, but Zoro stopped him.

"You're afraid of water, right?" Luffy's eyes shadowed with dread and Zoro took the opportunity to push his leg back into the boat. "Luffy, look after Kuina, ok? Porche too. Promise me." Luffy watched Zoro's eyes drift once more over the silent blonde. "You don't have to worry about me anymore... I'm finally free." He turned back to Luffy and showed him a bright, toothy grin, one that was truly genuine. Kuina gasped beside Lillian, completely surprised to see such an honestly happy smile from the man she'd known for years. Luffy gave Zoro a stern look before he finally nodded.

"Zoro, I want to see you again." Luffy held his gaze, authority thick in the look he was giving him. The swordsman nodded slowly and turned to look at the cook who was still a little dumbfounded. He worried that the other was experiencing too much of a shock for his mind to comprehend, but quickly shook the thought from his mind. That wasn't really a surprise, considering their current situation. He stretched his hand out to cup the blondes face.

"Sanji... " He sighed the blondes name and Sanji leant into the touch. He traced his eyes over the cooks face and closed his eyes. He didn't need to say the words for Sanji to know exactly what he was thinking. A horrifying thought flew through him as he realised the man was saying goodbye. All too suddenly, the hand was gone and Sanji found his eyes growing wide as he watched Zoro disappear into the crowds. He could see Lillian and Kuina calling out his name and crying out to Zoro for him to come back, but all he could hear was a muffled sort of white noise. He turned to face Luffy who gave him a knowing look and nodded his head. He pulled his hat off and placed it on top of Sanji's head.

"Bring this back to me. It's my most treasured possession and I won't forgive you if you don't bring it back." Sanji nodded and allowed the hat to fall around his neck. He took Luffy's hand and shook it roughly, his hand lingering for just a second before he stood.

"Women and children first," mumbled the cook. Luffy gave Sanji one last smile before the blonde jumped from the boat hearing his name escape Kuina's lips as he dived into the crowd. He looked around quickly searching for the familiar tuft of green hair before climbing to a balcony and searching the crowds. When he finally saw what he was looking for, he cupped his hands over his mouth and called out as loud as he could. Zoro's ears perked up and he rolled his eyes across the crowd seeing a blonde head running towards him. He mumbled out an undistinguishable cry before having his lips clamped to the other man who eagerly pushed his tongue into his mouth. The two stood in the crowd and kissed each other passionately, forcing people to walk around them. They ignored the cries of disgust from total strangers, running their fingers through each other's hair and pulling each other tightly together. Sanji felt tears escaping his eyes and wetting his cheeks as Zoro held him tighter mumbling out apologies. Sanji shook his head and smiled, pressing their foreheads together and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Y-You said... We were gunna get off the ship together..." Zoro looked at Sanji and smiled, nodding his head.

"Then, whatever happens, we're in this together, right?" The two stared at each other for a moment and took each other's hand, running to collect Zoro's swords. When they finally reached his room, Zoro looked around, disgusted. Someone had clearly looted it in the confusion. His clothes were strewn across the room and all his draws were open. Sanji bent down to straighten the sofa that had been tipped to the side. Zoro watched him curiously, when he'd made sure his precious swords hadn't been stolen. Sanji caught his look and blushed deeply.

"Uh... This is where we first..." Zoro let out a small laugh and nodded his head, his own cheeks turning a little pink. He scratched his nose timidly and held some cloth up to show the blonde.

"And this is..." He let his words trail off when he saw the smile stretch across Sanji's face. He blushed again and returned to securing his swords to his waist, carefully wrapping the jumper around one of the hilts. "What do we do now? Think there will be any life boats left?"

"Probably not for us," sighed Sanji, shaking his head slowly. "We should find Gin." Zoro grunted and nodded his head slightly. He followed the blonde as he rushed from his room. Sanji glanced at Zoro's slightly questioning face and grinned. "He's been my friend forever, I need to make sure he's ok, that's all." Zoro blushed again at the thought of being caught in jealousy.

"I... I didn't mean it like that." Sanji scoffed and allowed a wide grin to spread across his face.

"Idiot, don't be jealous." Zoro snorted and turned his head away. Sanji slowed his pace to a stop, Zoro slowing beside him. He pushed the other man to the wall and smiled again. "How do you think I felt when you had Kuina all over you?" Zoro blushed deeply, looking into the blondes eyes.

"You were jealous of Kuina?" Sanji thought hard on the words, before moving his head in a slow nod. Zoro scratched the back of his head. "Ah? Uh, well, you never really had to worry about that." Sanji looked at him quizzically before he continued. "Ever since we first met, it's only ever been you."

+X+X+X+X+X+

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway. It had been twenty minutes, and Gin was nowhere to be seen. Zoro had suggested checking their cabin, so that was where they had decided to go first. It proved a pointless mission when they quickly realised their room was under water by now. Sanji had to contemplate the possibility that Gin had already drowned, maybe being trapped in their tiny cabin? But no, he decided he couldn't think that way. There was no way the strong willed Gin would die like that, simply no way. Sanji had to think back to the first day he'd met Gin, slumped in the alley behind the Baratie, starving and beaten. His father had been a big shot in the French mafia and Gin had obviously done something wrong. Sanji had taken pity on the boy and fed him, sealing their fate as friends. If Gin could survive that, he could defiantly survive this. With that in mind, he desperately wracked his brain, trying to think where the man would have gone. Zoro turned a nervous eye to him.

"Sanji, we can't stay here." Sanji snapped from his thoughts when he heard Zoro speaking. He followed Zoro's outstretched finger to look at the steadily rising water. He glared at it as if staring would make it disappear.

"... Think all the lifeboats will have all gone by now?"

"Yeah." Sanji didn't like that answer one bit. He stepped towards the water and dipped a finger in. Just as quickly he pulled it away, cupping it in his other hand.

"Shit... 'S cold." Zoro stayed silent, watching the other man. He grabbed his shoulder and squeezed down on it.

"Sanji, we need to go." The blonde stared at the water a little longer, watching it rise to lick at his feet. He nodded and stood straight, making for the stairs. He hoped he'd see Gin soon. He needed to know he was okay. Running down the hallways felt completely eerie, and made shivers run down Sanji's spine. To see the usually busy ship completely empty freaked the hell out of him. If it weren't for the fact it was sinking, the emptiness alone would be enough to terrify the man. But still, he searched for Gin. He had to be somewhere; he just had to figure out where. He also had to secretly thank Gin for the distraction. The ship was sinking and the water was freezing. There was no chance they'd get on a lifeboat now and the distraction was a welcome one. He could never have done all this alone without having a nervous breakdown. He silently thanked Zoro for being with him, squeezing his hand. Half an hour of mindless wondering found Sanji running into his best friend. Quite literally. Sanji shouted out his insults as he hit the floor, shooting up at once to land angry kicks at the idiot. He froze, his leg in the air, when he looked down at a frightened and disorientated Gin. The man beneath him let out a gasp and raised his hands towards him.

"Sanji..." Gin moaned his name out and darted up to hug Sanji, whose leg was still in the air. They crashed against the wall, Gin hugging Sanji tightly. Zoro scowled at the actions, Sanji shooting him an apologetic face, trying desperately to drop the leg Gin had inadvertently trapped.

"Gin. Gin, let me go, you've got my leg there." Gin took a shaky step back and Sanji dropped his leg at once, rubbing it to let the flow of blood continue. Gin stared at the man for a long time, blocking out anything else around him. Sanji stared back, clamping his hands to Gin's shoulders. "Gin, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Gin stared back for a moment, before he pulled Sanji into another tight embrace.

"I'm fine, but... We need to get you out of here, the ships sinking." He leant into Sanji, digging his nose into his hair and breathing in the smell deeply. Sanji looked to Zoro who was visibly pouting, clearly jealous. Sanji grinned slightly at that before finally returning Gin's hug, softly. "I looked everywhere for you, you damn idiot."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm here now." Sanji purred into Gin's ear, trying to reassure him. "Come on, let's get above deck, okay?" Gin nodded and released his grip on Sanji who slinked up to Zoro and took his hand once more, making his move towards the stairs. He halted when he felt a tug on his arm. Turning back, he saw Gin clinging to his arm, a serious expression on his face.

"Why are you still with him?" He gestured towards Zoro who scowled back at him in response. Sanji looked between the two and furrowed his brows.

"Ah, I forgot, you hadn't heard yet." He held up the hand that clasped Zoro's. "I guess you could say, we're..." He looked down out of embarrassment, his cheeks tinted pink. "We're together now, I guess." He grinned up at Zoro, who smiled back in response. Gin shook his head, wildly.

"Are you serious?" He cried out, the grip he had on Sanji's arm tightening, making the other man wince. "Even after... Even after what he did to you?" Sanji frowned at the memory, but shook his head quickly.

"We talked about that. We sorted it out, I know why it-"

"How could you pick him over me?" Gin's voice was shaky, cracking a little every once in a while. Sanji's eye widened when he contemplated the words. What did Gin mean by that? Pick Zoro over him? He'd never had a relationship with Gin before, so what was he talking about? Then it hit him. Did Gin have feelings for Sanji? He clapped his hand to his mouth in realization. He'd never even considered that until now, but it would explain so much. His flirtatious behaviour, his total dislike of Zoro... It all made sense now. He looked at Zoro who was looking back at him nervously. He wondered what Zoro was thinking. Could he be worried Sanji would choose Gin? Sanji took in a deep breath and looked at his best friend seriously. Gin trembled under his gaze, looking at the floor like it was telling the most interesting story he'd ever heard.

"Gin..." Sanji took a step forward, Gin a step back. He breathed deeply again. "Gin, Zoro and I... We're... I want to be with him." He heard Zoro let out a nervous breath beside him. Gin was visibly shaking now; his eyes squeezed shut, trying to comprehend what Sanji was saying. He absolutely couldn't believe it. He'd known Sanji for years; been in love with him for years, then here comes this complete moron, a rich moron no less, and steals Sanji from right underneath his nose. He stared at Zoro for a moment, before lunging forward to pull Sanji into a rough kiss before he could even utter a word. Zoro shouted and growled, punching Gin to the ground, angrily. Gin sat there for a second, a hand tracing the new wound, feeling the blood trickle from his nose. Sanji had stepped between the two, clutching Zoro's arms in an attempt to restrain the man, who was panting heavily, an angry scowl being directed towards Gin. When he saw Sanji rush to _Zoro_ and not him, Gin finally knew it was over, he had absolutely no chance now. Not against this Zoro guy. He rose to his feet quickly, turning to run down the corridor. As he turned the corner, he heard Sanji calling out his name. He let out a silent prayer that Sanji would be okay, but he just couldn't bring himself to face the man. Not anymore. He'd always be his best friend and that was it. With that in his mind, he allowed silent tears to trickle down his cheeks.

Sanji kicked Zoro's shin, making the man yelp in pain.

"What the hell was that for?" Sanji glared at him and then down the corridor Gin had just disappeared down.

"You didn't have to punch him you damn asshole." Zoro pouted and turned away.

"He was _kissing_ you, what else did you expect me to do. You're mine God damnit." Sanji's features softened a little at Zoro's choice of words.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that, you know that, now Gin knows that." He turned his back on Zoro, crossing his arms. "Poor guy just got rejected by the great and handsome Prince. For a complete ape, for that matter. Be at least a little nicer to him..." Zoro turned back to face Sanji, scratching at his chin.

"Who's the Prince? Great and handsome? Doesn't sound like anyone I know." Sanji humphed and turned a glare at Zoro.

"_I'm_ the Prince, you bloody idiot." Zoro contemplated the words before letting out a little grin.

"Yeah, you're the Prince all right..." He took a few steps past him, heading down the corridor Gin had disappeared through. "Prince of the kingdom of idiots, maybe."

"What?" Sanji's face reddened with anger. Zoro let out a low chuckle.

"Come on, you'll want to find him, right?" Sanji furrowed his brows and stomped past Zoro. Zoro let out a bark of laughter and hurried to catch up with the cook.

+X+X+X+X+X+

Sanji stared at the disappearing bow of the ship as he gripped Zoro's hand a little tighter. When the search for Gin turned out to be fruitless, the two turned to helping the remaining women and children find things they could use as makeshift lifeboats. Sanji had secretly hoped he'd be able to catch a glance of his long time friend if they stayed on deck near the lifeboats, but he hadn't seen him once. A nagging in his head told him the worst must have happened, but he shut it out and concentrated on the situation at hand. Luffy and the others had disappeared a long time ago and now they only had to worry about themselves.

"The ship's going down fast..." Sanji leaned on Zoro's shoulder as he found footing on the slanting ship. The lights had long since gone out and they were finding it hard to find their footing on the heavily slanting ship. A nearby priest chanted his prayers as groups of people clutched at his hands. The cook was terrified, but was still completely happy he'd decided to stay behind with his swordsman. He couldn't imagine leaving the man to go through all this by himself. Zoro nodded his head at Sanji's earlier statement and placed kisses on the cook's brow. Thinking of Zoro's self sacrifice earlier brought his thoughts back to his childhood friend. "I haven't seen Gin once." Zoro frowned and pulled the blonde a little closer.

"Right now, you need to worry about yourself." Sanji nodded and fought back tears that threatened to burst from his eyes and stain his cheeks.

"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about you." Zoro smiled and hugged the cook a little tighter. He didn't want the cook to be scared. He didn't want him to go through all of this. That was why he'd left him on that life boat. He couldn't bear the thought of Sanji losing his life, but he knew there was no stopping him once he'd made up his stubborn mind. Even though he'd thought all of that, he couldn't help being a little thankful to have the man at his side. In a situation like this, you found out who really cared for you. The ship tipped a little more and Zoro pulled out his sword, using it to pull the two up to the end of the ships railing. He grabbed it and pulled Sanji up with him. He hooked his arm over the railing and pulled Sanji up to copy his motions.

"We need to stay out of the water as long as we can." Sanji nodded.

"We'll probably freeze to death if we're not careful." He shot the swordsman a bright grin and hooked his legs around the railings. Suddenly a loud cracking noise erupted through the night air and Sanji and Zoro braced themselves as half the ship began rushing down towards the water, the other half having broken away. Sanji cursed and held onto Zoro a little tighter. He tried to will his eyes back into focus as he felt the ship bob like a cork in the water for a few moments before it began to slowly sink downwards. Sanji closed his eyes and gripped the other man who wrapped his arms around his chest. For a moment they stared at the water as it made its way towards them. Sanji breathed in deeply.

"It's funny..." started Zoro, earning Sanji's attention. "I actually feel totally calm right now." Sanji nodded very slightly.

"That's like the centre of a storm, right?" When he saw Zoro's confused expression, he sniffed and scratched his nose. "They say the centre of the storm is completely calm. It's like that just before you die." Zoro frowned and tightened his grip around the other man.

"That's not like this. We won't die. No matter what. I promised Luffy after all."

"No matter what..." Sanji repeated the words quietly, staring at the fast approaching water.

"Sanji... Take a deep breath and kick as hard as you can as soon as you hit the water." Sanji nodded and turned once more to give the man a final look. He smiled and tugged at the straw hat he'd been given.

"Luffy will be pissed if I don't return his hat, right?" Zoro let out a laugh and stole another kiss. "But... y'know, there's another promise you need to keep." Zoro gave him a quizzical look as the water rushed towards them. Sanji leant into the man to whisper softly in his ear. "We still need to fuck." Zoro shot Sanji another desperate look before they each drew in a long breath and felt the cold water surrounding them. With a killer line like that, Zoro was determined to survive. Those were his last thoughts when he found himself surrounded by freezing water that stabbed through his skin. He grabbed onto Sanji, wrapping strong arms around his slender waist. No matter what, they had to survive.

No matter what...


	6. Epilogue

As dawn broke, a French dock was bathed in the glow of soft orange sunlight. A lone figure stood on the edge of the rickety old wooden structure hanging over the sea he so deeply loved and resented all at the same time. The slender figure, one that could only belong to a man teetering on the edge of childhood to manhood, made its way to the edge of the dock, finally coming to sit there, his legs dangling almost carefree over the wooden planks, the water below him almost licking the black dress shoes he wore. He took a moment to just stare out into the horizon, watching the calm ocean lap the land it surrounded. He let memories of the year before drift through his mind, grinning at some before his smile finally disappeared to be replaced by a small solemn frown. The ring of a bell behind him signalled the exit of someone from the restaurant the man held so dear, the Baratie. The Baratie was old and didn't get as much business as it had done before, but it was his home and he was deeply proud to call it that. It wasn't _just_ a home after all; it had become his livelihood too. Ever since _that day_ he had found it harder and harder to move out of his comfort zone, resulting in his barely ever leaving the fish like restaurant. People around him would give him sad looks, shaking their heads in superficial sympathy. What an unfortunate man! Loosing someone they loved that much, only to go on living after such a disaster!

Another man, this one more bulky in appearance, approached him, slowly making his careful way up the dock so as not to break the man's ritual. At the end of the dock, the solemn figure finally closed his eyes, breathing in deeply and letting a silent prayer fall from his mind. He neatly rolled up the sleeves of his finely pressed dress jacket and stood up, his fingers gently curled around the neck of a whiskey bottle. The man behind watched in silent fascination as the other pulled the cork from the bottle, spitting it to the side, before carefully tipping the entire contents into the ocean. When the bottle had relinquished its last drip, he set it down next to him and returned to silently staring out into the ocean. He drew in a shaky breath before mumbling out his prayers.

"Rest in peace..." The man behind him gave him a few minutes of silence before approaching him, his wooden leg breaking the silence with loud clanks that harshly sliced the sombre atmosphere.

"It's really been a year..." Zeff was silent again, carefully watching the figure before him. He was aware the boy had heard him though he failed to make any sign of recognition to the head chef. Zeff turned towards the ocean to silently copy the boy's actions, staring out in remembrance. Finally he let his head drop, his hand wiping at his forehead. "There's no way he's still alive. Not any of them, you need to learn to accept it." Zeff waited patiently to hear the boys answer. After what seemed like a life time he finally heard him speak up.

"They're alive. I know it." Zeff shook his head again and opened his mouth to speak, stopping when a raised hand motioned for him to let him continue. "None of them were on the death list. Not Franky, not Brook, not..." He paused for a moment, his hand dropping slightly, crunching up to form a half hearted fist.

"Eggplant... Not everyone made it onto the death list, some people were forgotten... Just like Gin." The boy winced again, pulling his fist to his chest, gripping at his blue pin stripe shirt.

"That's why I'm doing this. It my own private ceremony." He thought over Zeff's words again, suppressing the soft burning at the back of his eyes. His face pulled into an almost angry frown before ripping the straw hat that fell against his back, pulling it before him to wave angrily in the head chef's face. "This is all the proof I need! I know it! They're... They're defiantly alive!"

Zeff stared at the damning piece of evidence before him. True, it was quite a mystery how the hat had returned to its owner that way it had. It had been around a month after the Titanic had sunk. It was then that Zeff had extended an offer to Luffy for him to come live with him, having lost some of his vital friends on the ship. Luffy had agreed on the condition another woman could live there with them, a young woman named Kuina. Zeff wasn't sure on the details, but he was aware that Luffy had made a promise to someone to look after the young girl, and he had decided to take the promise very seriously. Exactly a month after the sinking, the door had been knocked, with no one standing to answer, only a small box lying in the doorway. There was no postage stamps or mailing address, only a small neat name written in a well educated cursive; Luffy. Inside the box hat been a familiar straw hat.

For a while after that, Luffy had been in an odd kind of shape. He didn't utter a word to anyone, only when very necessary. The strangest part for Zeff had been the fact that Luffy was barely eating anything. Then one day, it all changed and Luffy had returned to his normal, cheerful self.

"That package had been hand delivered with my name on it. No one else apart from me and the other people in the lifeboat knew of the promise that went with that hat, and no one would know it had belonged to me even if they found it. Especially not where to deliver it either. There's no other explanation." Luffy turned his head to look out to the ocean again, his vision concentrated and determined. "They had such a hard time on that ship. Maybe even harder than anyone else who had been on board. They needed to have some time together, alone. Right now they're on their honeymoon, but they'll come back. I know they'll come back." He raised his hand holding the straw hat to stare at it in a contemplative manner. "This is their message to me. They can't just come forward the way they are. That woman... She wouldn't have let him just go like that." He pulled his hand up to place the straw hat on his head, letting a bright and reassuring smile light up his face before turning back to the ocean.

_Sanji, Zoro._

_You're still out there... right?_

+x+x+x+x+

**A/N;**

Ah, it's finally done! What a relief! Thank you for reading my crappy story all the way to the end. I was really nervous about it because it's pretty much the first thing I've ever written, but I guess I'm sort of proud of it. Thank you to everyone who faved and reviewed, you really kept me pumped to keep shovelling out chapters!

Was everyone satisfied with the ending? I originally set out to write a tragedy, but in the end I felt terrible about killing both main characters! So in the end I gave it a nice open ending. So do you think they survived and lived happily ever after, or did they die? I guess it's all up to your own imagination!

Ah! Whilst I'm here, I might as well shamelessly promote another fic I'll be sticking out there. It's another One Piece AU, this time set in a high school! It's called 'Not Exactly A Fairy Tale' and is of course a ZoSan fic. So please check it out!

'Sanji has been in love with Nami for years, but when he finally decides to confess to her, he's shot down immediately, but vows to help her with her own love- a guy named Roronoa Zoro, but Sanji finds himself strangely becoming attached to him himself...'

-Silus


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